Sleeping homeless man dies after being run over in East Vancouver

A homeless man who fell asleep in a Vancouver alley and was run over last week has died, police said Thursday.

The collision happened around 3:30 p.m. on May 26, near Gore Street and Union Avenue.

Police believe the man was using drugs in an alley and fell asleep in front of a parkade gate when a driver trying to access the parking lot mistakenly drove over him.

“The pedestrian suffered grave injuries and had to be extricated from underneath the car by paramedics and firefighters,” VPD Sgt. Steve Addison said in a media release.

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“He was rushed to hospital for treatment, but sadly died on Tuesday.”

Police spoke with the driver, examined the vehicle and reviewed video surveillance from the alley.

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Addison said investigators believe the driver was unable to see the man, who was lying flat on the ground, when they struck him.

“This is tragic and heartbreaking on many levels,” Addison said. “While this was an awful and avoidable set of circumstances, we don’t believe foul play or dangerous driving were factors in this collision.”

Addison said police do not expect to lay charges or issue any tickets against the driver.

The collision marks the city’s seventh pedestrian fatality of 2021.