Victim in fatal Sudbury construction collision won't be ID'd by police
In keeping with the wishes of her family, the name of the 58-year-old woman who died after being struck by a heavy piece of construction equipment will not be released, Sudbury police say.
The woman, who used a walker, was trying to cross through construction at Elgin and Beech Streets when she was struck by a grader.
Staff Sergeant Rick Waugh said police and the ministry of labour are continuing to gather information to figure out what happened.
"It's a horrific event. I mean, it's a tragedy, but, there's many victims here — the deceased is the obvious victim but there's many people who witnessed this, there's the family, the friends," he said.
A post mortem examination of the victim's body is scheduled for today in Toronto, Waugh added.
Several onlookers saw the collision happen.
Denis Pilon said he knew the victim well.
"She was upstairs in our club. And we were sitting around and joking and laughing and smiling," he recalled.
"And then she left. Then, all of a sudden, somebody come up and started crying excessively."
Onlookers watched paramedics drape a white sheet over the woman's body lying between the machine's tires, and Guy Durepos told CBC News he knew the victim.
"I saw her earlier today. She was one of the nicest people. I feel sad. I feel not right. I've got a broken heart. That's all I need to say," he said through tears.
The incident happened in front of Evelyn Davie's store, Stage and Street.
Just days ago Davie told CBC News she was worried for the safety of pedestrians trying to navigate through the construction.
"I'm sick. I'm absolutely sick. In some ways I'm surprised something didn't happen sooner," she said.
"With the speed they've been going, there were trucks flying in and out of here yesterday. And I'm going, 'oh this is too fast. Too fast'."
Sudbury police said the construction company had hired police in the past for added safety.
But, there were no officers working at the site yesterday when the accident happened.