An accident last week in rural Langley saw a pedestrian suffer serious injuries after he was hit by a truck.
The 29-year-old Abbotsford man was struck near the intersection of 72nd Avenue and 232nd Street just after 5 p.m. on Nov. 12.
A GMC Sierra with dual wheels was heading northbound on 232nd and hit a pedestrian who crossed in front of his vehicle. The driver stayed at the scene, said Cpl. Holly Largy, spokesperson for the Langley RCMP.
The victim was in serious but stable condition, and his injuries were life threatening.
Increased hours of darkness and rain mean more danger for pedestrians at this time of year.
“It’s a case of both sides having to be vigilant when they’re using the roadways,” said Const. Anton Schupp, a Langley Mountie who has investigated many traffic accidents, including pedestrians being struck.
“Typically, the injuries can tend to be more severe, because the pedestrian doesn’t have a whole lot of protection against the vehicle,” he said.
There isn’t a typical pedestrian accident, but Schupp said the victims usually seem to be adults, and that dark clothing, busy commuting hours, and crossing away from the crosswalks can lead to an incident.
“Take the extra minute, use the crosswalks,” Schupp said.
He’s always worried when he sees people run across 200th Street at 68th Avenue – a location where a pedestrian overpass was built several years ago.
Schupp shakes his head thinking about it.
“Knock on wood, I haven’t seen anything there yet,” he said. “There’s a reason that overpass was built.”
Drivers need to be aware of pedestrians and cyclists, too.
“There’s not just other cars on the road,” he said.