Pedestrian killed in Winnipeg collision

WINNIPEG — A pedestrian was killed and three people were injured in a series of collisions involving a pickup truck at a Westwood intersection Friday.

The Ford F-150 was headed east on Portage Avenue when it struck a pedestrian and a glass bus shelter at the southwest corner with Bedson Street, shortly before 7:40 a.m., city police said.

“Seeing something traumatizing like that, it’s overwhelming,” said a witness, who declined to give her name.

After destroying the shelter, the truck severed a wooden hydro pole, slammed into an SUV on Bedson — causing that vehicle to spin — and came to a halt when it crashed into a bollard and support beam next to fuel pumps at a Canadian Tire gas bar, the witness said.

She said the truck appeared to be travelling at a high speed.

“It was very fast,” she said.

The pedestrian died at the scene. A white sheet was placed over the person’s body, near the southwest corner of the intersection.

The Winnipeg Police Service said three others were in stable condition in hospital after the crash.

Police did not release the pedestrian’s gender or age, nor any details about the driver of the pickup. The WPS did not provide information about the potential cause of the crash.

The witness was standing outside her home on Bedson, when she heard a loud bang. She said she turned to see the truck striking the Winnipeg Transit shelter in front of a YMCA-YWCA at the southwest corner.

“It hit the shelter and then the pole, and the pole went down,” she said. “It hit that (SUV) and made it spin, and then it crossed to the gasoline station.”

The woman, who was shaken by what she had witnessed, saw people near the truck in the aftermath, but she didn’t know who was driving it.

She said several witnesses checked on the people who were involved, prior to emergency personnel arriving a short time later.

Mala Carriere was driving to work on busy Portage Avenue, when she and other commuters pulled to the side to allow a fire truck to pass, shortly after the collision.

Multiple drivers who came upon the scene said they were unaware about what had happened until they saw the pedestrian and damaged vehicles.

“My heart broke for (the person),” said Carriere. “I’m sorry for anybody, whether they were a victim or they were a part of it.”

Police placed evidence markers on the taped-off road and the gas station’s forecourt, close to the truck. The pickup had a crumpled front end and the driver’s side was damaged. The SUV ended up sideways in Bedson’s northbound lane, with damage to its driver’s side. At least one airbag deployed.

A north-facing Transit bus came to a stop a few metres behind the SUV. Part of the intersection was covered in broken glass and other debris.

Investigators used a remote-control drone to record or take images of the scene.

Police ask anyone with information about the crash or dashcam video to call the traffic division at 204-986-7085 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477 (TIPS).

Portage was closed between Cavalier Drive and David Street for several hours.

As police blocked westbound traffic at Portage and Cavalier, a Free Press reporter witnessed two vehicles enter the eastbound lanes — despite officers sounding a siren in a bid to stop the drivers — and head the wrong way toward the crash scene.

Cadets directed traffic at Cavalier and Fairlane Avenue, as drivers diverted to residential streets.

Manitoba Hydro crews arrived at the scene to stabilize the broken pole and cut off power to about 1,350 customers so emergency crews could safely access the area. Power was restored by 11:20 a.m., but the public utility planned another outage to carry out repairs.

A woman who lives in the neighbourhood said a hydro pole on the southeast corner of Portage and Bedson was severed near its base, when it was hit by a vehicle on Aug. 15.

The woman, who asked not to be named, showed a reporter a photo that she took of the damaged pole.

After the crash, a critical incident stress management program was activated for Transit staff, said spokeswoman Megan Benedictson.

“Our hearts are with those who have been impacted by this crash, including members of the public and City of Winnipeg employees who witnessed it,” she wrote in an email.

“This includes employees of Winnipeg Transit, as there was a bus present at the time of the crash.”

City staff, such as bus drivers, and their dependents have access to a free and confidential counselling program.

“We encourage anyone else who has been impacted by this event to seek support as needed,” Benedictson wrote.

Over the last decade, Winnipeg has averaged 13 fatal collisions per year and 145 collisions that resulted in serious injuries, as per data published on the city’s website.

A recent staff report, based on Manitoba Public Insurance figures, found the number of fatal collisions involving pedestrians increased by an average of 6.7 per cent per year between 2012 and 2020.

Injury collisions involving pedestrians were up by an average of almost 10 per cent.

The report said 39 pedestrians were killed at intersections during that period, while 25 were killed at non-intersection locations.

» Winnipeg Free Press