The BC police patrol is investigating after a police car hit a pedestrian in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, leaving him with serious injuries. BC’s Independent Investigations Office (IIO), the province’s citizen-led police watchdog, says a Vancouver police vehicle struck a male pedestrian in the 100 block of East Hastings Street on Tuesday around 3:20 a.m. . The man was taken to hospital with serious injuries. The IIO said Wednesday afternoon that the man is still alive. Footage from the scene shows a man standing motionless in the middle of an empty road being hit by a dark-coloured vehicle.
The video shows a police car moments before it hits a pedestrian
An investigation is underway after a Vancouver police cruiser struck a pedestrian on East Hastings Street on the morning of September 20, 2022. Vancouver police confirmed the IIO is investigating. “We believe this investigation will shed light [on] what factors led to the collision, including why the pedestrian was standing still in the middle of the road, why the officers did not see the person, the speed of the police vehicle and other contributing factors,” the statement said.
“Disgusting and…disturbing”
The Downtown Eastside has long been dangerous for pedestrians, but the fact that the crash involved a police car was troubling to community advocate Dave Hamm with the Vancouver Area Drug Users Network. “The police need to be vigilant and aware of what’s going on in the neighborhood,” Hamm told CBC’s On The Coast. The pedestrian was wearing dark clothing and standing still in the road, but police should be more aware of his surroundings, he says. “For them to be involved in this incident, it’s kind of appalling and kind of disturbing,” he said. Hamm believes the car may have been traveling too fast. More than a decade ago, speed limits on a section of the DTES were lowered to 30 km/h following a study done for the City of Vancouver. He says there needs to be better traffic enforcement, especially with so many female police officers already in the neighborhood.
One of the most dangerous intersections in BC
The Downtown Eastside is home to some of the province’s most dangerous intersections for pedestrians, according to data from ICBC. The most dangerous intersection is East Hastings and Main Streets, a few blocks from the site of Tuesday’s crash. The neighborhood is a densely populated area with arterial routes to downtown Vancouver, where the roads are shared by commuters and commercial drivers, as well as the unpredictable behavior of pedestrians in a community that faces high rates of addiction and mental illness. The IIO says the video is among the evidence collected so far. Anyone with video or information about the crash is asked to contact the IIO at 1-855-446-8477.
