WATCH ABOVE: There are calls for new rules to stop gas and dashes after an employee was run over on Sunday. Carolyn Kury De Castillo reports.
CALGARY – Police say the driver involved in a hit and run collision on the weekend that sent a woman to hospital with life-threatening injuries, may be responsible for other “gas and dashes” in Bowness and Cochrane.
READ MORE: Police locate truck used in violent gas and dash
Officers were called to the 1700 block of 16th Avenue N.W., near North Hill Mall, around 11 a.m. on Sunday after a woman was hit by a pickup truck.
The 35-year-old victim was rushed to the Foothills Medical Centre in potentially life-threatening condition with multiple traumatic injuries. Her condition was later upgraded to stable.
Police say the woman, who is an employee at the Centex gas station on 16th Avenue, was trying to stop a gas and dash when she was hit.
“You look at the 35-year-old lady—great heroics, but that is something we don’t want everyone to do,” said Calgary Police Inspector Ken Thrower on Monday.
Investigators believe the vehicle, described as a copper or light brown 2006 Ford Super Duty with Alberta plate EUX378 – had been stolen in Airdrie several days earlier.
The Ford struck the woman as it sped out of the parking lot, and carried her on the hood for approximately 15 metres before she fell onto the road in the 1800 block of 16th Avenue N.W.
The truck then ran over the woman.
One witness, who did not want to give their name, says they saw a truck driving erratically from the Home Depot adjacent to the intersection.
“Then a woman pursued him into traffic on foot, jumped on the front of the guys hood and when the light turned green he tried to just drive away and hit her and he didn’t stop. And myself and another gentleman chased him to get the plate,” said the witness. “She was climbing up on the hood to try and hinder him from moving, I guess she wanted to stop him for whatever reason or keep him from driving further.”
“I don’t know if it was intentional, but I think he blatantly disregarded that he hurt another human being and drove off.”
Police said the suspect could face attempted homicide charges since there was an attempt to injure.
In response to the incident, Centex president Alnoor Bhura said the company is “devastated by the violent, senseless and ultimately cowardly act perpetrated on our employee” and called on the government to enforce mandatory gas pre-payment legislation. A request from Global News as to why Centex hasn’t implemented its own pre-payment system was not answered by publication time.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and her family.”
Scroll down to read Bhura’s full statement
As police search for the suspects involved, the incident has spurred a debate over mandatory pre-payment for gas.
Thrower said former Calgary Police Chief Rick Hansen said the agency supports a gas pre-payment law, because of safety concerns such as this incident.
“Anything that can reduce something like this happening or anything like that, because it’s not about dollars and cents, it’s about lives and safety,” said Thrower. “Definitely any initiative along those lines, we’re going to support as a police agency.”
The Canadian Fuels Association said its members have “robust safety and security policies in place at their members’ sites” and have tried to encourage the adoption of its best practices with independent retailers, such as Centex.
“Since only 20 per cent of retail sites are member-owned, the small independent owners can be the main targets of theft,” said western division vice president S. Brian Ahearn in a statement.
“With respect to mandatory pre-payment for all retail fuel purchases, Canadian Fuels members already institute voluntary pre-payment provisions on a risk management basis. Imposing mandatory pre-payment across the diverse range of retail fuel sites circumstances may be problematic, and industry believes that a thorough risk assessment at each site coupled with safety and security plans are the best way to make retail sites safe.”
Alberta Labour Minister Lori Sigurdson expressed concern for the victim and called it a “tragic incident.”
“While I am not able to comment on this particular case as the incident is still under investigation, I want to assure Albertans we are monitoring the situation. Our government is committed to protecting the safety and health of all Albertans and we are looking into the options we have to prevent tragic incidents like these in the future.”
The suspects are described as 20 to 25 years old, with slim builds. Police say the driver has brown hair and the passenger has blond hair. The passenger was wearing a cowboy hat during a Friday incident in which the same truck left a gas station in the 8400 block of Bowfort Road N.W. without paying.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Traffic Section at 403-567-4000 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477 or visit www.calgarycrimestoppers.org.
Read the full statement from Centex regarding the employee’s injuries:
“We are devastated by the violent, senseless and ultimately cowardly act perpetrated on our employee early Sunday morning. First and foremost our thoughts and prayers are with the victim and her family. We pray her condition improves and she is able to recover.
Although a senseless act, these types of thefts are deliberate and occur all too often across the province everyday. Although it is our policy and we clearly tell our employees to phone the police and not to put themselves at risk by chasing ‘gas runaways’, it’s understandable how an employee may react in the heat of the moment.
The government of Alberta has shown very little or no leadership in this matter in the past, even though they have been advised by various Chiefs of police to adopt ‘Pay before Pump’ legislation. We hope the new government reconsiders this issue and brings forward some much needed legislation and leadership.”
Alnoor Bhura, president of Centex Petroleum
– With files from Carolyn Kury de Castillo and Erika Tucker
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