Two hit and runs in two days involving children “disheartening” to police

VERNON – Two young children were struck by vehicles last week in separate instances near Vernon elementary schools.

“We had a bit of a trend last week that was a little unnerving and a little concerning for the police,” RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk said Monday.

On Nov. 21 around 8:40 a.m. a six-year-old boy was struck at the crosswalk on Allenby Way while walking to Ellison Elementary School.

“The boy was knocked back onto his back-pack and luckily he had no injuries,” Molendyk said.

Witnesses said a female driver with a dark complexion (possibly First Nations) drove away from the scene in a light blue or light beige four-door sedan. She was heavier set and had clear rimmed glasses with tinted lenses. Her back window was covered in frost.

The boy carried on to school where the principal reported the hit and run to police. The boy is doing fine, Molendyk said.

The next day around the same time, a seven-year-old girl was struck by a vehicle backing out of a driveway on 20th Ave. The girl’s sister pulled her out of the way, and she was left with only a scratch. The driver left the scene but was contacted by police later that day.

“The driver was devastated….” Molendyk said, noting the man has children himself. “(He) didn’t know, he was totally unaware that it happened.”

“How many times have you heard, especially with a smaller child behind a bigger vehicle, just run right over?”

The incidents take on graver significance with the tragic news of a two-year-old boy killed in the Lower Mainland under similar circumstances. 

The RCMP is reminding drivers to properly scrape frost from windows, leave extra following room, and keep a close eye on the roads, everywhere, not just in school zones. Pedestrians are encouraged to wear reflective clothing in darkness hours, and carry flashlights.

“Everyone needs to be well aware of each other,” Molendyk said.

The RCMP is asking anyone with information about the driver of the sedan to contact Vernon police at (250) 545-7171) or Crime Stoppers at (250) 260-7161. 

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infotelnews.ca, call (250)309-5230 or tweet @charhelston.