A horrific car accident in Burnaby put five people in hospital Tuesday, including a 22-year-old woman who was critically injured while walking on her lunch break.
The impact of the collision left one car wrapped around a power pole at Canada Way and Gardner Court and another inside a bus shelter about a half-block away.
Mounties said the pedestrian was thrown as far as 40 feet and suffered a traumatic head injury. She was taken to hospital where she remained in critical condition Tuesday night.
People who work with the victim describe her as a bubbly, joyful, spiritual person.
“She has a close thing with God so we’re hoping she pulls through this,” coworker Bill Blake told CTV News.
Both drivers and two passengers were taken to Vancouver General Hospital, but the extent of their injuries is unknown.
Staff Sgt. Major John Buis said it appears one car was travelling eastbound on Canada Way and another was merging onto the road to drive in the same direction when they collided, and that they left a very wide field of debris.
“We’re looking at the possibility that speed was a factor,” Buis said.
Both vehicles involved in the accident have new driver "N" licence decals.
Canada Way was shut down in both directions for several hours while the RCMP’s Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service investigated.
Mounties have not determined the cause of the crash.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Maria Weisgarber
