Two officers with the Lower Mainland Integrated Police Dog Service were seriously injured in a hit-and-run in South Burnaby Monday morning.
The two officers had been training dogs in the area, according to a witness who saw the accident.
The officers were standing outside of one of their vehicles stopped in the 5000 block of North Fraser Way and North Fraser Crescent when they were hit.
The two male officers, one an RCMP member and the other an Abbotsford Police Department officer, are currently being treated at hospital for serious but non-life-threatening injuries, according to Burnaby RCMP.
Roberto Farinha, who saw the accident through his office window at 4300 North Fraser Way, said one of the officers was thrown about 15 feet in the air.
“Everything’s broken on that guy,” he said. “We didn’t think he was going to live.”
Farinha said there had been three officers outside of the police vehicle, which had been parked facing west on the north side of North Fraser Way.
A westbound semi, seeing the officers on the road, had slowed down, Farinha said, but another westbound vehicle passed the semi on the right and plowed through the officers.
“They just accelerated through and had no regard for them. No stopping, no nothing,” Farinha said. “Everybody was in shock. Nobody could believe what happened.”
An officer who had been standing closer to the front of the vehicle was able to jump out of the way, according to Farinha.
Farinha said he called 911 right away before going down to help.
Burnaby RCMP are now hoping to speak to anyone else who witnessed the crash.
Cpl. Mike Kalanj said the vehicle sped away from the scene and about an hour later police found the trashed car — which had been reported stolen — but the driver was gone.
The car is a white, later model Toyota Camry with dark tinted windows, which Kalanj said prevented police from getting a good look at the driver. He said police are trying to develop a description of the driver through surveillance video but they also want anyone who saw anything suspicious to come forward.
Police are also urging people to stay away from the area of North Fraser Way and North Fraser Crescent (westbound) so they can continue their investigation.
- with files from the Canadian Press
