A suspect has been arrested after a hit-and-run that killed a young girl in Surrey on Sunday afternoon.
Six-year-old Jayla was out for a walk with her family and two siblings around 4 p.m. when her parents say a vehicle mounted the sidewalk and hit the children near the intersection of 164th Street and 108th Avenue around 4 p.m.
The two other children, ages seven and 16, were taken to the hospital with injuries.
Flowers and stuffed animals have been placed at the scene of the incident, while neighbours expressed shock and sadness at what happened.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the family during this difficult time.
Neighbours captured security camera video of a truck speeding away from the scene and the suspect vehicle was found shortly after the collision. Witnesses told Global News it appeared the truck jumped the curb when it struck the children.
“A seven-year-old girl was transported to hospital, along with a 16-year-old boy, both had what appeared to be non-life-threatening, minor injuries, thankfully,” Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton with the Surrey Police Service said.
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“Now the driver of the vehicle that fled the scene was located shortly after five o’clock… and that person was quickly located by RCMP officers, arrested and they remain in custody.”
Police said the cause of the incident remains unknown but it is believed that alcohol may be a contributing factor in the collision.
The driver has been released from custody, and the police confirmed it on Monday morning.
In a statement, Surrey Schools said it is aware of an incident involving its students over the weekend and staff in the Fraser Heights community of schools are working to ensure a safe and supportive environment for all students and families.
“The district is prioritizing the well-being and emotional support of our students and staff through our Critical Incident Response Team, including Safe Schools. District resource counselors are on site as of this morning, with longer-term counseling support being offered for staff and students.
Neighbours said the intersection has been an issue for years.
“This intersection is completely unsafe; we watch people run four-way stops here at high speeds all the time,” Jessica Weismiller said.
“I’ve almost been hit three times.”
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