A four-year-old girl and her mother were lucky to only sustain minor injuries after being struck by a car while jay-walking in the 3000-block of Lougheed Highway Thursday night, the Coquitlam RCMP said.
Street at night/Shutterstock
Cpl. Michael McLaughlin told The Tri-City News the mother was carrying her child when the two were struck in a dimly lit area with no crosswalk. He added the driver was obeying the rules of the road and was not impaired or distracted at the time of the incident.
"We are really lucky in this case that the driver was not speeding," he told The Tri-City News Friday morning. "It could have been a lot worse. We are fortunate that the injuries are as minor as they are."
The 33-year-old Port Coquitlam mother and her child were crossing southbound shortly before 7:30 p.m. when they were hit by an eastbound vehicle. According to witnesses, the impact dented the front of the car and sent the two people into the windshield.
Both pedestrians were taken to hospital and treated for minor injuries and McLaughlin said the mother would likely be ticketed for her actions.
"This is just a glaring example of what not to do," he said, noting that the mother and child were wearing dark clothing at the time of the incident. "When you are crossing the street, there are reasons why lights are the places to cross."
He added that as the weather starts to change and the days get shorter, motorists also need to be more alert.
"Drivers need to be watching out for pedestrians," he said. "Ultimately, the driver is the one that has this vehicle that can do a lot of damage."
