Pregnant woman searching for Vancouver driver who allegedly hit her, then fled

A B.C. woman says she was on her way to visit family on Saturday night when she was struck by a driver at a Vancouver intersection.

Gaultier was driving on 12th Avenue near Commercial Drive at the time.

“Boom, I was hit from behind and hit my head on the steering wheel,” said Gaultier, who’s six months pregnant with her first child. “It was pretty scary.”

Gaultier says she had blurry vision and felt dazed and confused. She was taken to hospital and says she suffered a minor concussion. The baby did not suffer any injuries.

The 34-year-old says her car has extensive damage and may not be driveable. Even worse, she says ICBC may hold her financially responsible for the damage.

“Depending on your insurance coverage, you may have zero per cent coverage even if it’s not your fault,” said Gaultier.

Gaultier told CTV News she always had coverage for a hit-and-run. However, she renewed her insurance last year without reviewing ICBC’s changes to its basic coverage police, which no longer covers damage from a hit-and-run unless the driver purchases optional collision coverage or hit-and-run coverage. 

So now, in order to receive any financial compensation, Gaultier says she’ll have to track down the driver who she claims crashed into her from behind before fleeing the scene.

“It’s up to me to find that licence plate in order to hopefully not lose thousands of dollars and my only car,” she said.

Gaultier tracked down video footage of the driver leaving the scene and has shared her story online in the hopes of tracking down the culprit. She’s received hundreds of messages including tips and leads to solve the case.

“It’s been really a beautiful moment of community, even though it’s a really sucky situation," she said.

She says she’s been communicating with Vancouver police but understands a minor hit and run may not be their top priority.

“I don’t really have faith that the Vancouver police has the resources and time to put into solving this thing that’s important to me," she said.

But Gaultier won’t be quitting her mission anytime soon.

“I’m determined to give it my best effort. I’d hate for this to not be resolved simply because I didn’t try," she said.

Gaultier says she hopes at the very least that her story serves as a cautionary tale for British Columbians to double check their insurance coverage. CTV News reached out to the Vancouver Police Department for an update on the case file but it has yet to respond.