Edmonton police confirmed charges are pending in connection with a collision between pedestrians and a pickup truck that killed a three-year-old boy on June 27.
It happened just after 5 p.m. in the south-end community of Allard, near Allard Road Southwest and Allard Boulevard Southwest.
Police said officers were told that a pickup truck heading north on Allard Road stopped quickly at the three-way stop at Allard Boulevard.
They said that at the same time, a woman and her two young children were walking east across Allard Road in a marked crosswalk on the south side of the intersection.
“After briefly stopping, the truck reportedly turned left onto Allard Boulevard (heading west), running over the boy and striking the mother and her daughter,” police said in a news release.
Paramedics were called to the scene but the young boy died of his injuries.
Paramedics treated the boy’s 39-year-old mother and his seven-year-old sister at the scene, then took them to hospital for their non-life-threatening injuries.
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The 30-year-old man driving the truck remained at the scene and did not report any injuries.
As the police investigation continues, the city will be doing an investigation of its own.
Engineers will conduct a site review to see what, if any, changes could be made to make the intersection safer.
Area Councillor Jennifer Rice says the father of the little boy is among those pushing for improvements.
“The father of that family and also some community members approached me and talked to me, and they told me they request the city’s action to improve the safety at that intersection as soon as possible,” Rice told Global News on Tuesday.
Rice said improvements have been made throughout the neighbourhood to curb speeding but that people in the area have told her they would like to see traffic lights added to where the crash happened.
There is no timeline on when the site review could be completed.
“I think city administration and myself, and also community members, we have the goal, the common goal. So I want to bring that common goal together and everybody work together to really find that solution,” Rice added.
But the mayor says there needs to be more than just infrastructure improvements.
“All of us have a role to play here,” Amarjeet Sohi told reporters.
The child’s death was the 15th fatal crash this year. He was the seventh pedestrian to be killed.
“I would also encourage every Edmontonian to do their part. We have seen a large number of fatalities this year compared to previous years. All of us have a responsibility that when we are on the road that we drive safely,” the mayor said.
Police said at the time that “speed and alcohol are not believed to be factors in this collision.”
On Tuesday, police said charges were expected but could not provide any more updates.