WARNING: This video contains footage viewers might find disturbing

The driver accused in a serious case of road rage targeting a flag person in Burnaby is also accused of assaulting two children after allegedly fleeing the scene.

The woman, who is in her late 30s, is facing potential criminal and Motor Vehicle Act charges in connection to the Wednesday morning melee.

An alarming video widely circulated on social media shows a white Hyundai crossover vehicle waiting to merge into a line of traffic at a construction zone on 10th Avenue near Kingsway. It begins with a man warning the flagger the driver “might run [her] over.”

Less than a minute later, the driver accelerates despite the female traffic control shouting for her to stop. In a chaotic scene, the vehicle rolls over the flagger’s thigh as the driver appears to ignore her directions.

"In all my years of police work I've never seen anything like this," Staff Sgt. Major John Buis of the Burnaby RCMP told reporters.

The traffic controller was hospitalized with a serious concussion as well as a number of serious compression injuries on her leg and lots of bruising. She remained in hospital as of noon Thursday.

A second male flagger was also hit in the altercation, although he was not as seriously hurt.

Michael Menzies, the president of Universal Flagging, said the injured female flagger has about five years of experience, and is expected to recover.

"Our understanding was that the driver of that motor vehicle was irritated or something was taking too long and decided to accelerate the vehicle, hitting both of our employees," said Menzies.

After the two flaggers were struck and the vehicle left the scene, police received a report of two children being assaulted nearby.

The kids are related to the female driver involved in the flagger crash but police won't say how. The children are reportedly OK, but B.C.'s children and family ministry has stepped in.

"Shortly after arriving at the crash scene police received a complaint about a woman assaulting two children on a nearby street in Burnaby," Buis said, adding that the woman was taken into custody when police arrived.

Buis said investigators are now trying to piece together what led to the crash and assaults, and whether mental health played a factor.

"I think you might be able to describe a similar situation as severe emotional trauma and so we're investigating that," Buis told reporters.

WorksafeBC says between 2007 and 2016, 15 roadside workers were killed and 229 were injured because they were hit by vehicles.

The incident has the BC Flagging association calling it a graphic reminder of the dangers traffic controllers face.

"That’s absolutely disgusting, what I saw,” said spokesperson Tammy Sampson.

“That traffic control flag person was clearly standing in an appropriate position to perform her normal traffic control duties and she was in clear, plain view of the white Hyundai.”

While it’s not clear what preceded the incident, Sampson says there’s no excuse for that kind of behavior – which is "just a complete disregard of human life."