Police believe it’s likely the driver of a tractor-trailer that struck and killed a New Westminster woman on Wednesday night doesn’t even know what happened.
New Westminster police were called to the scene by B.C. Ambulance around 8:40 p.m. last night. The 52-year-old woman was pronounced dead shortly after first responders arrived, according to a media release from New Westminster police.
The initial investigation suggests the woman was hit, while crossing Brunette Avenue between Keary and East Columbia streets, by a tractor-trailer travelling westbound, Sgt. Chad Johnston told The Record.
“(She was) crossing mid-block from the river side to the other side, … south to north,” Johnston said.
The victim wasn’t using a crosswalk when she crossed Brunette Avenue. Investigators believe darkness and pouring rain were contributing factors in the crash, Johnston added.
The driver of the tractor-trailer did not remain at the scene, but investigators believe that because of the size of such a truck, which can measure up to 75 feet long and can weigh about eight tonnes unloaded, it's likely he or she didn't realize they had hit anyone. Police are asking witnesses or truck drivers who were in the area between 8:30 and 8:50 p.m. to contact the New Westminster Police Department immediately at 604-525-5411.
Investigators with the department's collision analysis reconstruction team have taken over the file, and the victim's next of kin have been notified. Police are waiting to release her identity until all the members of the family have been notified, Johnston added.
