A 70-year-old North Vancouver man is in hospital with serious injuries after being run down by a distracted driver on Mount Seymour Parkway, according to police.
The senior was on his way home from the gym at about 2: 30 p.m. Thursday when a 19-year-old motorist reportedly veered on to the sidewalk from the thoroughfare's eastbound lane and struck him.
She had been distracted by an iPod at the time, said investigators. "She was adjusting something on it," said Cpl. Richard De Jong, a spokesman for North Vancouver RCMP. "She admitted to using this device, and next thing you
know she's up on the sidewalk."
The victim was rushed to Lions Gate Hospital with a broken leg, broken ribs and cuts to the head.
The driver, who stayed at the scene of the accident, has been charged with driving with undue care and attention and driving while using an electronic device.
De Jong said the incident highlights the dangers of using cellphones and other handheld gadgets while at the wheel.
"I'm not sure how much more strongly I can word my message," he said.
"It's a classic example of how one second's worth of distraction could take someone's life."
Although the victim wasn't killed in this case, it was a close thing, added De Jong.
"He got hit quite hard," he said. "At 70 years old, it's going to be a slow process for recovery."
