Local school trustee Casey Cook was t-boned by a vehicle last week and believes if he hadn’t been riding in an SUV, he might not have survived.
The well-known city politician’s 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe is a write-off, but he’s lucky to be alive after being struck at about 2 p.m. on Armstrong Avenue in Burnaby on Thursday.
“I was actually coming back from Costco … and this woman came out of Armstrong Avenue, I found out later that she didn’t see the stop sign because the sun was shining in her eyes,” he said. “Lucky I had witnesses. This women came right out and just t-boned me right on my driver’s door.
“I was hit so hard, I don’t even remember anything, and I ended up on a spine board in the trauma unit at RCH. My left side is extremely painful, and I’ve got a whopper of a concussion.”
Cook is suffering with headaches, memory loss and ringing in his head.
The car accident occurred on the same day the New Westminster Secondary School parent advisory council held a dramatic meeting, where parents voted to kick out trustees, bring in the province to oversee the district and look into the feasibility of amalgamating the New Westminster school district with Burnaby.
Cook planned to attend the meeting that night. He had told board of education vice-chair Michael Ewen, who is the high school’s trustee liaison, that he was going to the meeting because he expected it would be a significant one.
“I remember saying to Michael, ‘I know you are the liaison, but this is more than a liaison issue. It’s an entire school board issue. We need to be there,’” he said. “Yes, I was going.”
Parents at the high school were meeting to talk about a hefty budget reduction at the school and their frustration with the district’s management.
Cook was unable to attend the board of education’s committee meeting on Tuesday and, at this point, can’t say how long he’ll be out of commission. For now, he’s taking it day by day.
Meanwhile, Cook plans to get another Hyundai Santa Fe, though he’ll look for a different colour – he’d been hit four times since he bought the black SUV.
“Fire-engine red perhaps,” Cook said, laughing, when asked what colour he’ll go with next.
