EDITOR’S NOTE: This article was updated with new information on Dec. 18, 2017 after police provided a more detailed description of the van believed to be involved in the hit and run. Police had originally said the van had a black roof rack and that it was believed to be an “older model,” however, they now believe it had no roof rack and that the model year of the van was no older than 2013.
Edmonton police have released a photo of a van suspected of being involved in a hit and run that injured two people late Wednesday afternoon.
Police released a grainy photo of the van on Thursday afternoon but did not say where it came from. They said they are still looking for the driver of the van.
Police said the two pedestrians were hit while in a marked crosswalk in the area of 71 Avenue and 96 Street at about 5:15 p.m. and were taken to hospital with serious injuries. They said one of the victims was a 49-year-old woman and the other was a 64-year-old man.
“(They) were crossing in a marked crosswalk from east to west when they were struck by a southbound van,” acting Sgt. Rick Evans said. “The van slowed down at the scene and then fled.
“This was a hit-and-run collision.”
On Thursday, a family member of the man hit in the crosswalk said the 64-year-old was on his way home from work when he was hit and that he usually walks after taking the bus home. The family member, who declined to provide their name, said the man suffered three broken vertebrae in his back, three broken ribs, and a broken collarbone. However, the family member said the victim is simply happy to be alive.
Details about the 49-year-old woman’s injuries are unknown.
The van is being described as an older model white passenger van that can hold anywhere between 12 and 15 passengers. It has no roof rack. According to police, the van “will have some front-end damage.”
The van did not have any side or rear windows and it had an Alberta licence plate. Police believe it is a Chevrolet, three-quarter ton express van or a GMC Savannah, and that the model is no older than 2013.
“There is some debris at the scene that we will be seizing,” Evans said, adding police are hoping to find video of what happened.
Anyone with information about the van, the driver or what happened is asked to call the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) at 780-423-4567 or at #377 from a mobile phone. Tips can also be anonymously submitted online.
The EPS Major Collision Investigation Unit has taken over the investigation.
-With files from Sarah Kraus