14-year-old pedestrian critically injured in Hamilton collision, say paramedics

Hamilton police say a 14-year-old girl suffered life-threatening injuries after she was hit by a vehicle while walking with her friends Saturday evening.

Emergency crews were called to the area of Parkdale Avenue North and Roxborough Avenue around 5:15 p.m., according to Dave Thompson, a superintendent with Hamilton Paramedic Service.

The teen was taken to hospital in "critical, life-threatening condition, suffering from multi-system trauma," he said.

Hamilton police say the teen was walking with a group of friends along Parkdale when she was hit by a driver who then fled from the area.

Investigators said they have since tracked down the 2005 Nissan Quest involved in the crash with the help of the public.

The driver, a 30-year-old Hamilton woman, is charged with failing to remain at the scene of a collision causing bodily harm, said police.

The collision is the latest in a recent string of crashes that have killed pedestrians or left them seriously hurt.

Hamilton's police chief has spoken out about the spate of collisions, saying the service is focused on targeting speeders, aggressive drivers, distracted drivers and drivers who are drinking or using drugs behind the steering wheel.

"We're also targeting Hamilton's Top 10 collision intersections in an effort to reduce collisions and we're working closely with the City of Hamilton on implementing road safety reform," he said in a video posted online.

Sandy Shaw, NDP MPP for Hamilton West–Ancaster–Dundas, has also written a letter to provincial Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney, calling for provincial action to prevent crashes.

"Municipalities like Hamilton need provincial support and funding to develop active transportation plans that incorporate the needs of pedestrians, cyclists and vulnerable road users," she wrote in part.

The city has been working toward a goal of zero traffic fatalities or serious injuries since 2019, Ward 8 (West Central Mountain) Councillor John-Paul Danko posted on Twitter. But, "recent tragic pedestrian deaths show more needs to be done," he added.

Danko shared screen shots of a motion he plans to bring to Hamilton's Public Works Committee on Monday.

It notes despite that goal, the number of fatal collisions on city streets have not been trending down, pointing to eight pedestrian deaths as of April.

The motion calls for the city's strategic road safety committee to look over annual collision statistics, "isolate specific dangers" to vulnerable road users and for the transportation division to report back to the committee on traffic enforcement enhancements and road safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists.

It comes as another weekend collision left three people seriously injured.

Police say a 21-year-old Hamilton man was driving a Volkswagen west on Hunter Street toward the offset intersection at Queen Street South around 11 p.m. Friday when he failed to navigate the intersection and crashed into a fence and concrete blocks.

"This caused extensive damage to the vehicle and caused portions of the concrete blocks to fall onto the railway tracks below," said police in a media release.

The driver and two other 19-year-old men suffered critical injuries, including "torso trauma and spinal fractures," according to investigators.

Police said they have not been able to rule out any contributing factors. The collision reconstruction unit is continuing to investigate.