On Wednesday, June 13 just before 3 p.m., Sunshine Coast RCMP, paramedics and the Sechelt fire department were called to a collision at the intersection of Cowrie Street and Trail Avenue in Sechelt.
"Emergency crews arrived to find that a grey sedan had struck a parked pick-up truck with such force, that it sent it entirely into the next parking spot, which was occupied by a third vehicle," said Cpl. Steve Chubey in a media release. "The collision occurred when the southbound vehicle attempted to stop at the four-way stop of Cowrie and Trail Avenue. The 88-year-old driver stated she mistook her accelerator for the brake. Witnesses reported that the vehicle "rocketed" through the intersection where it crashed into the parked pick-up, hopped the curb, narrowly missing a bike stand and flattened a tree, which finally stopped the vehicle from causing further chaos. Both parked vehicles were unoccupied.
"The driver and passenger of the offending vehicle were seen to by paramedics while police investigated the cause of the crash.
The RCMP will be forwarding a letter to the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles for a license review.
"There were so many things that could have gone wrong," added Chubey. "With the amount of foot traffic at this particular intersection, this incident had the potential to cause serious harm."
Gambier man wins award
Stuart Watson of Gambier Island was selected as a winner of one of three individual community stewardship awards from the Islands Trust Council.
Watson was given the award for his work with the Gambier Island fire equipment group and the Langdale access group.
The 11th annual awards were announced at the quarterly meeting of the Trust on North Pender Island June 13.
"These awards acknowledge individuals and groups who make significant contributions towards preserving the community, culture or environment of an island," said Shelia Malcolmson, chair of the Islands Trust Council. "The award program is designed to celebrate the dedicated people who have donated countless hours in service to preserving and protecting the Islands Trust Area, in cooperation with others."
