The father of an avid North Vancouver athlete who was critically injured in a hit-and-run last month is urging more witnesses to come forward and help solve the crime.
Grace Haines was out for a run around 10 p.m. on Jan. 25 when she was struck by a vehicle on Keith Road near St. Andrews Avenue.
Her father Chris Haines told Global News Wednesday he got a call from Lions Gate Hospital 45 minutes later that his daughter had been found unconscious in the road by a passerby, who Haines calls a “guardian angel” for responding after hearing the collision and calling 911.
Haines says Grace has been in an induced coma until this week, when doctors were finally able to take her off sedation. She’s had surgery to remove a brain bleed and remains on a breathing tube in Lions Gate Hospital, which Haines hopes will also be removed this week.
“I’ve been going back and forth between terrified, depressed and hopeful for the last week and a bit, and this definitely brought it up to hopeful again, which is amazing,” Haines said.
Haines says Grace is “an amazing young woman” who is an accomplished student and athlete. He says her ability to deadlift 245 pounds — “She was gunning for 250, she’ll hit 250 soon,” he adds — speaks to her determination, which makes him confident she’ll recover from her injuries.
“She wants to go study engineering, a field we need more young women in,” he said. “This is only a speed bump on her way to that.
“If anybody has the strength mentally and physically to fight this, it’s my daughter, Grace.”
Haines says CT scans since Grace’s brain bleed surgery have shown no evidence of further bleeding. She’s able to open one eye and give a thumbs up in response to questions, he adds, but there are still concerns about what the long-term impacts of Grace’s head trauma will be.
“The doctors and nurses and staff here, everyone is so amazing,” he said. “They don’t want us to be overly optimistic, but they’re also trying to lift our spirits and be positive.”
North Vancouver RCMP arrested one suspect a day after the hit-and-run took place, but no charges have been laid and the investigation is ongoing.
Investigators are asking anyone who may have seen or heard “a white, newer model vehicle” in the areas of Keith Road between Ridgeway Avenue and St. George’s Avenue, or in the parking lot of the Safeway in Lynn Valley Centre, to speak with police.
Haines is hopeful there’s more information that can be gathered from witnesses who have yet to come forward. He says that information could help doctors diagnose Grace’s condition and treat her.
As for the driver responsible, the father says he’s not angry at them, adding those emotions won’t do anything to help save Grace’s life.
“I can only imagine what that individual and their family is going through as well isn’t exactly pleasant,” he said. “So I don’t harbour any ill will. I just want my daughter to be better.”
Anyone who has information about the Jan. 25 incident is asked to contact North Vancouver RCMP or Crime Stoppers.