A Saanich teen on her way to school was seriously injured in the leg when she was struck by an SUV in a marked crosswalk Monday morning in an apparent hit and run, police said.
Saanich police said the driver of a dark green SUV turned left on Blenkinsop Road from Cedar Hill Cross Road and struck the 17-year-old while she was in a marked crosswalk at around 8:20 a.m.
Insp. Damien Kowalewich said while police did not immediately attend the scene of the incident, the department’s traffic safety unit is investigating the hit and run.
“[We’re] still working with the young woman who was struck to determine the exact circumstances, so we’re still in the early stages of the investigation.”
The driver has not been identified and police are asking for any witnesses and those with footage of the incident to contact Saanich police at 250-475-4321.
On average, an injury-causing crash happens every 10 hours on Saanich roads, according to a recent municipal report.
Saanich’s younger road users are over-represented in the most serious crashes and are most likely to be killed in a crash, with the 15-to-24 age group making up a third of all fatalities recorded in Saanich from 2016 to 2020, the report said.
