West Vancouver police are telling pedestrians to behave themselves after two people were hit by cars on the weekend while apparently darting into traffic.
On Friday, a pedestrian in her teens was running to catch a bus on Marine Drive near 14th Street when she stepped into the path of a Jeep Cherokee, according to police. The impact threw the 15-year-old up over the hood and on to the windshield. Fortunately, she escaped the accident with only scrapes and bruises. Investigators concluded the vehicle had the right of way.
The next day, another woman was struck just a few blocks east when she got off a bus near Park Royal and stepped into the road without looking, said police. The driver of an Infiniti four-door, unable to stop in time, ran her down. Again, the 22-year-old suffered only minor injuries. She walked away from the collision and later turned up at the West Vancouver police station to report it.
Police issued both women tickets for traffic violations.
The incidents should serve as a reminder to the public to obey the law when crossing the road, said Cpl. Jag Johal, a spokesman for the WVPD.
If youre outside the crosswalk, youre compromising your safety, he said. (Drivers) arent always paying attention. They could be texting; they could be changing the radio; they could be looking somewhere else.
Worse, it can put others at risk, added Johal.
You can startle someone driving, he said. They could swerve and hit another person on the sidewalk.
