'He ran me over': Attendees of B.C. residential school memorial march hit by truck
Several people were injured after a man drove his truck into a small crowd marching to honour the victims and survivors of residential schools in B.C.
Video provided to CTV News by Robert Jago, who attended and documented Saturday's March for Recognition for Residential Schools, shows people of all ages, many wearing orange shirts, chanting, drumming and waving flags that say 'Every Child Matters."
- Updated story: Truck driver turns himself in, RCMP say
The march was set to end at the grounds of the former St. Mary's Indian Residential School in Mission B.C. Two thousand children were taken from their families to that institution, which was operated by the Roman Catholic Church and later the federal government. It did not close until 1984. Twenty-one children are known to have died while attending the school, according to the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation.
Troy Ingraldi was doing traffic control for the march and described what happened.
"The truck came speeding up, there was children in the right-hand lane. I wanted to make sure the children were fine so I stepped in front of the vehicle. He stopped, but then he continued to go and that's when he ran me over," he said.
The Mission RCMP have confirmed that two people were taken to the hospital with injuries and that the driver did not remain at the scene.
"One driver pushed his way up through the group, making contact with approximately four persons in the group, including the traffic control person and one of the organizers of the March," a statement from the detachment says.
Mounties have not identified any suspects and have not made any arrests. They have, "thanks to numerous witnesses" been provided with the truck's license plate, according to a media release.
Despite the investigation being in its early stages, the Mission RCMP have characterized the driver as "impatient" and said "there is no indication that this incident was targeted, or that the driver's actions had anything specifically to do with the people marching or their cause."
'EXACTLY WHY WE MARCH'
March organizer Christopher Robertson is from the Sq'éwlets First Nation. He says what happened Saturday was is just another example showing that the work of truth and reconciliation remains incomplete in Canada.
"Stuff like what happened yesterday is exactly why we march," he told CTV News.
"Before this very impatient gentleman decided that he was going to run over one of our brothers and hit four of us, there was people that drove really close to us through oncoming traffic that were screaming racial slurs. As upsetting as it is, we just carry on because this is why we do it. This is who we are. This is why we need the attention, why we need the recognition, we need the truth."
He says the driver came dangerously close to where children and elders were marching and made no attempt to slow down.
"He stepped on the throttle and he started flying at us," he said.
While police say no one was seriously injured, Robertson says Ingraldi suffered a concussion.
The response of the Mission RCMP was frustrating to Robertson, who says only one officer came to the scene and was unable to take statements from all of the witnesses. Further, he questions why the driver has not been arrested.
"There is actually quite a few very upset people. Especially because you know, this gentleman is still sitting at home," he told CTV News.
"The really upsetting part is, you know if it was myself or any of our other brothers that were behind the wheel and doing this to anyone else, we'd already be in jail and had the book thrown at us."
The Mission RCMP, in their media release, said they were a"gathering as much evidence as possible" in order to determine which charges to recommend.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Potential tornado 'surreal' for residents who witnessed damaging storm in southern Ontario
Witnessing a potential tornado was 'surreal' for residents who caught a glimpse of the damaging storm in southern Ontario on Wednesday night.
Was this the bug that stung you? Wasp sightings revive murder-hornet concerns; no detections confirmed
As temperatures rise out of a mild El Nino winter, Canada's buggy season is already upon us again, and this year, the bugs are looking especially big.
Minister tables bill to extend citizenship rights to children born abroad
Immigration Minister Marc Miller tabled legislation today that is intended to extend citizenship to some children born outside of the country.
WestJet planning new fare category for travellers willing to forgo carry-on bag
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
'We'll need all hands on deck': Details emerge after deadly boat crash near Kingston, Ont.
Police say they have wrapped up their on-scene investigation into a deadly boat crash in eastern Ontario as details of the incident begin to emerge.
Jennifer Lopez's response to question about Ben Affleck is a reminder of their decades of love in the spotlight
Plenty of people are wondering if Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are having problems in their marriage, but one person had the nerve to ask in a public forum.
U.S. Justice Department says illegal monopoly by Ticketmaster and Live Nation drives up prices for fans
The U.S. Justice Department filed a sweeping antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation Entertainment on Thursday, accusing them of running an illegal monopoly over live events in America -- squelching competition and driving up prices for fans.
Adding just 10% ultraprocessed foods to healthy diets may raise risk of cognitive decline, stroke
Eating more ultraprocessed foods is linked to a higher risk of cognitive decline and stroke, even if a person is trying to adhere to a Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet or the MIND diet, a new study found.
'Looking over our shoulders': A killing looms large in a little B.C. town
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished.