An 18-year-old woman from Port Alberni was airlifted to a trauma centre after being struck in a crosswalk on Thursday evening (Nov. 23).
Just after 6 p.m. emergency personnel and RCMP were called to the crosswalk at Redford Street and 15th Avenue in front of the Hospitality Inn where a woman was struck by a vehicle while she was crossing the road. “She was conscious and breathing” and receiving assistance by passersby when emergency personnel arrived on scene, Port Alberni RCMP media liaison officer Const. Richard Johns said.
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The woman was flown to a trauma centre elsewhere on Vancouver Island due to her serious injuries, which Johns said were not expected to be life-threatening.
The driver of the vehicle remained on scene and co-operated with investigators, Johns added. “At this time speed is likely a factor,” he added, saying RCMP on Friday were still collecting evidence such as CCTV footage. The RCMP’s Integrated Collision and Analysis Reconstruction Services (ICARS) team also collected evidence Thursday night.
Two people have been killed in pedestrian-related collisions on Redford Street in 2023. On May 31 a Port Alberni man was killed while crossing Redford Street in a crosswalk at Wood Avenue, between 15th and 16th Streets. Another fatality on Redford occurred on Jan. 3, 2023 when a man was hit while crossing at Sixth Avenue.
Johns encourages drivers to take more while driving around the city, especially near crosswalks. By slowing down, making sure headlights are working and keeping up with vehicle maintenance “these types of collisions can be avoided,” he said.
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