A 14-year-old Hamilton girl was taken to hospital with serious injuries after a hit-and-run that adds to a wave of pedestrian collisions spurring community outrage.
A 30-year-old Hamilton woman has been charged with fail to remain causing bodily harm in the accident that happened Saturday shortly before 5:30 p.m.
The teen was walking with a group of friends on Parkdale Avenue North at the intersection of Roxborough Avenue when she was struck by a 2005 Nissan Quest. The driver of the minivan allegedly failed to stop and fled the area.
Police recovered the vehicle with assistance from the public and charged the driver.
The Hamilton Police Service Collision Reconstruction Unit closed the intersection for about six hours Saturday. The investigation is ongoing with assistance from Division 2 criminal investigation detectives.
The injured girl was the second teen to be taken to hospital in less than a week after being hit while out walking.
A 15-year-old Hamilton boy was in critical condition after he was struck by a pickup truck on April 24 at around 11 p.m. while crossing at Queenston and Nash roads. The 79-year-old Hamilton man who was driving remained at the scene and co-operated with police.
Nine people have been killed by vehicles in Hamilton in the first four months of this year, equal to the total in 2021, which was the deadliest year for city pedestrians in a decade.
The most recent was a 36-year-old man who was killed by a forklift at Stoney Creek steel company Janco Steel Ltd. on Apr. 26. The police count it as a traffic fatality because the worker was hit by a motor vehicle.
Earlier that month, Glen Clark, a 42-year-old Hamilton man, was struck and killed Apr. 8 on Upper Wentworth Street. Famed conductor Boris Brott died in an alleged hit-and-run collision in the area of Park and Herkimer streets, near Durand Park on Apr. 5.
The wave of collisions has spurred community outrage, with 170 residents petitioning city council to ask for traffic calming measures and street safety audits.
Those with information about Saturday’s collision can contact Detective Const. Ben Paterson at 905-546-4755. To remain anonymous contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
