Mother, child seriously hurt after crash near elementary school

A mother and her child, both new Canadians, were hit by a car while crossing Isabel Street around noon near Dufferin School on Monday. 

Emergency crews rushed them to hospital in critical condition where they remain, Winnipeg police spokesperson Const. Tammy Skrabek said in an email late Monday afternoon. 

Police placed several neon evidence markers under and to the north of a crosswalk on the east side of Isabel Street at Alexander Avenue. Dufferin School is located at the same intersection in Winnipeg's Centennial Neighbourhood.

The mother and child were tenants of the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba, also known as IRCOM, the organization said. A spokesperson asked for prayers.

Alison Dong, a housing coordinator in the Centennial area, choked up after learning the victims were clients of IRCOM.

"That's very sad to hear," she said. "When we hear something like that, it's like family."

There is a large IRCOM housing complex just south of the intersection where the two were hit. 

The northbound lanes of Isabel at Alexander were blocked by police Monday.

Concerns about Isabel Street safety

Some parents picking up students at Dufferin School Monday raised concerns about the safety of crosswalks on Isabel at both Alexander, where the crash occurred, and at Ross Avenue. Both intersections are close to community hubs —Dufferin School is located at Alexander and a Tim Horton's, along with the Freight House community centre, is at Ross. 

Tyler Fredette, 24, has two sons and grew up in the area himself. He said when he engages the pedestrian crossing lights at either intersection, two or three cars can drive by before traffic comes to a complete stop.

"There's a really big concern here. The cars never stop, even when I'm crossing the street with my own kids… you'll push the button and two cars will just fly past," he said.

"They don't really see it until the last second. The blinkers go on and they're still driving right through."

Jade Osborne, whose daughter, Iris, attends kindergarten at Dufferin School, said she tries to stay off Isabel, choosing to take smaller streets to get to school.

"Drivers sometimes don't see you," she said.

Police have not speculated on the cause of Monday's crash and are still looking for witnesses who may have seen it. 

"Members of the traffic division continue to investigate and believe that several people may have witnessed or have video footage of the accident," Skrabek said. 

Investigators are asking businesses to review security camera footage and for the drivers of buses, trucks and garbage trucks, to check their dash cameras, just in case they captured the incident.

Tips can be made to the Winnipeg police traffic division at (204) 986-7085 or Crime Stoppers at (204) 786-TIPS (8477).