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ANOTHER BUS STOP CRASH
▶ THIRD PERSON THIS MONTH HIT BY A VEHICLE AT A TRANSIT SHELTER IN SURREY
LACK OF SURREY SCHOOL SPACE ‘CRITICAL’
KEVIN DIAKIW
A woman is lucky to have avoided serious injury after a truck crashed into a bus stop where she was waiting. At about 9 a.m. Wednesday, a Ford F150 pick-up, driven by a 17-year-old male, was heading east on 60 Avenue and turning north onto 152 Street. The driver lost control of the truck and smashed into a bus shelter, shattering the glass at the back of the structure. Police say a woman who was waiting for the bus was not struck directly by the truck, but was thrown through the back of the shelter and sustained minor injuries. It’s the third time this month that a person has been injured by a car while waiting at a bus stop. At just after 6 p.m. Oct. 8, a white Corvette was travelling north on King George Boulevard near 96 Avenue when it lost control, struck a fire hydrant and crashed into a bus shelter, hitting a pedestrian. The driver fled on foot and jumped into a cab, but was later arrested. The passenger in the Corvette and the pedestrian at the bus stop were seriously injured. The day before that crash, 22-year-old Evan Archibald was killed when a Jeep driven by a 17-year-old struck him while
▶ “Is it such a significant issue that we should do something about the design of a bus shelter? Probably not, in my opinion.” SURREY MAYOR LINDA HEPNER
▼ DISTRICT AIRS CAPITAL FUNDING AND OTHER CONCERNS TO PROVINCIAL FINANCE COMMITTEE
SHEILA REYNOLDS
Emergency personnel assist a woman who was injured after a pick-up truck lost smashed into a bus shelter on 152 Street near 60 Avenue on Wednesday morning. It was the third such incident to occur in Surrey this month. BOAZ JOSEPH
he waited at a bus stop on Fraser Highway near 156 Street. Both of these incidents are still under investigation. Surrey RCMP Cpl. Scotty Schumann noted bus stops tend to be located close to intersections, where a majority of accidents take place. As for transit users, Schumann said it’s always a good idea to be extra mindful. “Certainly, whenever you’re
near the road, even just going down the sidewalk, you should try to be as aware of your surroundings as possible,” he said. “Not only for vehicles, but also for strangers.” Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner said the series of bus stop accidents appear to be an unfortunate anomaly. She said redesigning shelters to better protect transit users would be premature.
“Is it such a significant issue that we should do something about the design of a bus shelter?” Hepner asked. “Probably not, in my opinion.” Anyone who witnessed any of these incidents and has not yet spoken with police is asked to call Surrey RCMP at 604-5990502 or Crime Stoppers, if they wish to remain anonymous, at 1-800-222-8477 or www. solvecrime.ca
While shrinking school districts get compensation for their declining enrolment, Surrey has had to cut staff to pay for portables for its ever-growing student population. And that, says the school board chair, simply isn’t fair. Shawn Wilson pointed to what trustees feel is inequitable treatment as part of a presentation made earlier this month to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. He said the province has provisions to cover unique costs for districts where student numbers are dwindling, but there’s nothing offered to districts like Surrey that incur extraordinary costs due to increasing enrolment. continued on page 4
Shawn Wilson