A series of car collisions involving young victims and an alleged impaired driver that fled the scene caused widespread road closures on 232 Street in Langley on Friday afternoon.
Air ambulance touched down after a young boy was struck by a dark blue Nissan Pathfinder in the 4900-block of 232nd Street at around 3:30 p.m. Friday. The victim remains in critical condition as of Monday.
The 29-year-old female driver, from Langley, fled the scene and was found later and taken into custody, said RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Holly Largy.
The 12-year-old, a Grade 7 student at Peterson Road Elementary, was in critical condition in hospital with life-threatening injuries.
A male passenger was also arrested after he allegedly attempted to hide the vehicle after the collision, Largy added.
It is believed the same driver struck an 18-year-old leaving school near Langley Secondary School at about 3:10 p.m. the same afternoon. The teen sustained injuries requiring medical care, but was treated and released from the hospital, Largy said.
Largy added that there may have been other collisions linked the same driver.
“Investigators believe the Nissan Pathfinder travelled quite significantly around the Lower Mainland in advance of the Langley collisions,” Largy said. “It is possible they drove through Aldergrove, Walnut Grove, Downtown Vancouver, North Vancouver and finally Surrey before returning to Langley and may have been involved in other collisions.”
Meanwhile, counselling services were available for staff and students at Peterson Road Elementary on Monday, and meetings were held in the intermediate grades to discuss what had happened, said Langley School District Spokesperson Joanne Abshire.
“Our hearts and thoughts are with the family at this difficult time,” Abshire said.
Investigators are still piecing together the events of Friday afternoon, but Largy added more information about the suspect in an update on Monday, Sept. 16.
The 29-year-old suspect was given a demand for a breath sample by a police officer, and initially refused, Largy said. She provided samples later in the evening that showed she exceeded the legal blood alcohol limit.
The woman was released from custody after being served with an Administrative Driving Prohibition.
The Integrated Collision Analyst and Reconstruction Service (ICARS) assisted the Langley RCMP in looking at the main impact site on 232nd Street, where traffic was shut down through much of Friday evening.
Anyone that witnessed either collision or others involving the Nissan Pathfinder and has not spoken to police is asked to call Langley RCMP at 604-532-3200.
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