A local 33-year-old woman is in critical condition, but still alive as of Oct. 13, after being struck by a vehicle on Highway 101 on Thanksgiving weekend.
Sunshine Coast RCMP retracted a previous statement that the victim had succumbed to her injuries. In an email to Coast Reporter at 2 p.m. on Oct. 13, the RCMP said, “Unfortunately, the Sunshine Coast RCMP incorrectly told your reporter, verbally that a person succumbed to injuries following a pedestrian collision with a vehicle in Madeira Park on October 9, 2022.
“We can now confirm that this person remains in hospital and is being treated for her injuries. We sincerely apologize to the victim and family and to your newspaper for our mistake.”
Coast Reporter had reported the woman's death, based on the information from the RCMP.
The woman was hit by a vehicle near the Grasshopper Pub on Highway 101 between 8 and 8:30 p.m. on Oct. 9, according to Sunshine Coast RCMP.
BC Emergency Health Services said two ground ambulances and a helicopter responded. She was airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital.
The driver has spoken with police, said Cst. Karen Whitby on Oct. 11. “And it looks like [the incident] was unavoidable from what we hear. There's no criminal investigation at this point, but we are still investigating,” she said, adding that there was “No sign of any impairment from the driver.” At the time of the incident, it would have been dark with no illumination in the area.
Police are still investigating how the victim came to be on the road prior to being hit.
The RCMP is still looking for witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage who was driving the stretch of highway between Parkview Road and Narrows Road between 8 and 8:30 p.m. Anyone with information is asked contact the RCMP at 604-885-2266.
Please note the RCMP retracted the statement after Coast Reporter’s print deadline. The story in the Oct. 14 issue of the newspaper contains information that was available at the time, but is incorrect.
