Mounties have laid charges against a young driver who allegedly hit and seriously injured a 70-year-old pedestrian in North Vancouver, saying she became distracted by an electronic device.
Police said the 19-year-old woman struck the elderly man on the sidwealk of the Mount Seymour Parkway after she veered off the road just before 4 p.m. Thursday.
RCMP said the woman is cooperating with authorities.
The man suffered a broken leg, broken ribs and lacerations to his head. He was taken by ambulance to Lions Gate Hospital and is expected to survive his injuries.
The driver has been charged under the Motor Vehicle Act with driving with undue care and attention, and driving while using an electronic device.
“The RCMP will continue to enforce and send strong messages to the motoring public on the dangers of driving while using an electronic device,” RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Richard De Jong said in a news release.
Residents who live on the roadway say they’ve seen similar accidents and speed is usually the main factor.
”Posted speed is 60 kilometres but often times you’ve got people whipping here 70, 80 kilometres,” said North Vancouver resident Pamela Dewolf. “It’s really obvious that they’re excessively speeding.”
In December, more than two dozen pedestrians were struck on Metro Vancouver roads, including a 67-year-old man who was hit and killed at a crossing on North Road between Burnaby and Coquitlam. He was one of six pedestrians hit that night.
More than 1,400 drivers were handed tickets over the holidays for distracted driving. Despite that number, crashes related to distracted driving causing death or injury have gone down almost 10 per cent since the cell phone ban came into effect.
With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Scott Hurst
