Police see rise of pedestrians hit by vehicles on Winnipeg streets

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Police have seen a startling rise in pedestrians being hit by vehicles on Winnipeg streets this year including three such incidents this month alone. In two of those incidents, the injured pedestrian died.

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According to figures released by Winnipeg Police on Tuesday, there have been 11 collisions involving pedestrians this year to date, with five of those resulting in fatalities. At this time last year, there were nine with only one pedestrian-involved fatality.

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On Saturday afternoon, a 19-year-old woman was struck while crossing Pembina Highway near McGillivray Boulevard. General Patrol officers, assisted by members of the Auxilliary Force Cadet Unit, attended and assisted with traffic control as members of the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service provided medical care to the pedestrian. She was rushed to hospital in unstable condition and later upgraded to stable, while the adult driver of the vehicle involved remained on scene and spoke with investigators.

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Police said the woman “ran in the path of the northbound vehicle and was struck as there was no time for the driver to avoid a collision,” according to a Winnipeg Police news release. “No charges are anticipated.”

The incident came less than a week after a woman died from injuries sustained in a collision at the intersection of Portage Avenue and Woodhaven Boulevard.

Earlier this month, a 38-year-old woman died after being hit by a passenger vehicle at St. Mary’s Road and Chesterfield Avenue on May 4. She was rushed to hospital in critical condition but later died from her injuries.

In all three incidents, the driver of the involved vehicle remained on scene and spoke with investigating officers.

According to Manitoba Public Insurance, there have been 126 reports of collisions involving pedestrians in 2024. Year-end totals dating back to 2020 average around 250.

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In 2022, Council approved the Winnipeg Road Safety Strategic Action Plan, which will serve as a roadmap for implementing both short-term solutions and long-term investments to ensure the City is doing its part in preventing serious injury and death on the roads.

The plan consists of 67 actions to help Winnipeg reach its goal of a 20% reduction in fatal and serious injury collisions over the next five years (2022-2026), with a long-term vision of a transportation system that allows people of all ages and abilities to safely move around without experiencing death or serious injury.

The plan includes pedestrian crossing studies and installing safety measures at high-volume locations with a goal of reducing serious injury collisions by 2026.

gdawkins@postmedia.com

X: @SunGlenDawkins

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