The rumble of a truck engine echoed in the darkness as the sound of tires on the pavement rolled closer.
She could hear it creeping up behind her, when suddently a burst of pain struck her in the back of the head.
Pieces of plastic and mirror shattered on the ground as her stomach churned and a piercing pain took over her brain.
She looked up to see the tail lights of the truck fading into the distance, leaving her forlorn on the side of the road.
That April 8 evening, 18-year-old Faith Elliott escaped what could have been much more serious.
Aside from the concussion, Shyla Marie Elliott says her daughter was lucky the injury wasn’t worse.
“We are so grateful she is OK,” said Shyla.
But the alleged incident has left the Enderby family, especially Faith, shaken.
It was a Sunday evening that Faith was walking from a friend’s house along the narrow shoulder of Mabel Lake Road, when she was hit by the mirror of a passing truck.
“The truck didn’t even slow down or stop,” said Shyla. “She (Faith) didn’t have a chance to get a license plate or a good description because her back was to them. And she was instantly in shock and pain and disbelief. She just knows it was a big black newer truck.
“She reported it immediately to the RCMP and was told unfortunately not much would probably come of it.”
The RCMP states the incident was responded to and investigated.
“The Vernon-North Okanagan RCMP will be in contact with the victim to clarify any questions or issues they may have regarding the incident,” said Const. Kelly Brett, media spokesperson. “All members in the Enderby area are aware of the file and the descriptors of the vehicle.”
But since nothing has come from the police yet, the family is doing some investigative work of their own.
“My sister went to the scene later the next day and picked up the broken pieces she could find. We aren’t sure if the RCMP took the actual mirror itself,” said Shyla, who was in Edmonton at a family funeral at the time with her husband.
“My sister was crying when she was collecting pieces of the mirror. She said cars were flying past her and she realized how serious it could have been.”
There are reportedly numerous near misses on the rural Enderby stretch of road, but this one was too close for the Elliott family.
“Mabel Lake Road has become an incredibly dangerous road over the years,” said Shyla. “People are impaired and frequently driving too fast.”
See related: Speeders tearing up road
With the remnants of that night in hand, the family has identified the vehicle as a Chevy truck, as it matched up to a friend’s truck.
“It’s identical so he said it’s likely to be a Chevy late ’90s to early 2000s, which there are a ton of unfortunately,” said Shyla.
But fortunately, there aren’t many missing the passenger side mirror.
“There is a truck being driven by a blond man that’s missing a mirror,” said Shyla, who has seen it, but couldn’t catch the plate number.
“But there are alot of people watching fortunately.”
Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Enderby RCMP at 250-838-6818. Or remain anonymous by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477, or leaving a tip online at www.nokscrimestoppers.com. You do not have to reveal your identity to Crime Stoppers. If you provide information that leads to an arrest, you could be eligible for a cash reward.
Jennifer Smith | Reporter
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