by Kevin Diakiw – Surrey North Delta Leader
An elderly man has died from injuries he sustained after being hit by a semi-trailer truck last week.
The 78-year-old man was crossing at a crosswalk at 7 a.m. on Thursday (Nov. 20) when he was hit by the truck at 124 Street and 82 Avenue.
He was taken to hospital with a fractured vertebrae and died on Friday of his injuries.
Police say the driver of the truck remained at the scene of the accident and is extremely upset. RCMP say it’s too early to say if criminal charges will be pursued.
It was Surrey’s sixth fatal accident involving a pedestrian. Last year, there were seven pedestrian fatalities in total.
Surrey as had 13 traffic fatalities this year, six of which involved pedestrians.
Of traffic fatalities, Surrey has one of the highest percentages involving pedestrians. For the past several years, almost half of the people dying on Surrey roads have been pedestrians.
Regionally, about 30 per cent of traffic fatalities involve people on foot, and provincially, the figure is 15 per cent.
Police say we’re now heading into a dangerous season on local roads and are encouraging people to take the proper precautions.
“Speed limits are set for ideal conditions, and we often forget that,” said Surrey RCMP Cpl. Bert Paquet. “This time of year, we don’t see ideal driving conditions often.”
The key, he said, is to never put yourself in a position where you’re in a hurry to go anywhere.
The other important factor, Paquet said, is driver distraction.
“There’s a lot to be distracted from just paying attention to the road,” he said. “Dedicate your attention to a task that is probably the most complicated task you will ever do.”
He noted every one of the accidents that have occurred this year could have been prevented.
