Coquitlam RCMP looking for hit and run witnesses

Mounties in Coquitlam are releasing more details about a horrifying incident that happened in the city on Saturday, when a woman was left with life-threatening injuries after being hit by two cars in separate hit-and-runs.

Police previously said a patrol officer saw a vehicle with its hazards flashing stopped in the area of Pinetree Way and Guildford Way at 9:45 p.m.

A good Samaritan had stopped to help a pedestrian, who was unconscious, police said. It was determined the woman had been walking through a marked crosswalk in the area when she was hit by a car that was turning east onto Guildford.

Investigators said that “within a short time,” a second vehicle heading east then hit the woman, who was on the ground. Neither vehicle stayed at the scene.

The 25-year-old Port Coquitlam woman was taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Police say she is still in hospital.

“She’s still alive, but does have significant injuries as a result of this collision. We aren’t going to specify exactly the injuries but they are quite significant,” the department said Thursday. 

Corp. Alexa Hodgins says police now believe one of the cars was a white Hyundai Kona.

“We are looking for this vehicle, which is believed to have front and driver-side damage as well as the driver. We are asking the driver to come forward and do the right thing and speak to our investigators,” she said.

Hodgins adds surveillance footage of the intersection shows that there were other pedestrians on the south side of the crosswalk who may have witnessed the collision, or seen the woman laying on the road.

“It was dark during the time of the collision and raining quite heavily. And we’re taking that into consideration,” Hodgins said.

A transit bus was also in the area during the time of the incidents, police say, and Hodgins explains they want to “particularly draw this to the attention of the passengers” who were on route 188 at the time.

“We have already spoken to Coast Mountain [Bus Company], as the passengers may have been looking out the window and saw something that was significant to this investigation.”

Hodgins says the driver of the second vehicle of interest has contacted police, and “has been cooperative, and did the right thing when they realized that police were looking for them.”

“We do want to emphasize that the pedestrian had the right of way. [She] was in the marked crosswalk, which is green and very visible when the driver of the white Hyundai struck the pedestrian as she was crossing the roadway,” she explained.

Police are also asking anyone who may have video from the the area of Pinetree Way and Guildford Drive between 9:15 p.m. and 10 p.m. Saturday to get in touch with the Coquitlam RCMP at 604-945-1550, and quote file number 2024-2286.

–With files from Hana Mae Nassar and Cole Schisler