So the students where in the sidewalk big deal. Did they give any allowances for conditions. As for not remaining at the scene maybe she moved because of conditions to a more safe location instead of stopping in the middle of the road.


Not enough information.

Lady "you ok?"
Shocked kids "yeah"
ZOOOOOM

Seamutt you are way off base.

There are a lot of students from PGSS who need to learn the proper way to cross a street too. Not saying these two weren't but I have seen hundreds who don't. You don't believe me, go there at about 11:30 and watch ...

Right on, BC Racer, seen it many times. These students, I'd say 70% don't even look before or when they're entering the crosswalk, just like the drivers who have everything on their minds except driving. And they don't wait for traffic, no they don't have to, but could wait til there's a group of them. How many times do we watch them come across in two's and three's. Yep, it's frustrating. Don't know how many have been hit in the past, but it's not the location, its the inattention. I'd like to hear from a student or two and how they perceive drivers at this location.

Well I hate to say it but, maybe the kids should learn to look before they leap. I travel the roads around there and PGSS and the boneheads just walk right out in front of you with out even a peek at what may be coming there way. It's head down and on the road. Finger you too after they noticed that they just may have been run over. There is kind of a blind spot there as well at the overpass. Time for them to learn some of the rules of the road instead of being ignorant.

Seriously people, the people that got hit WHILE ON A CROSSWALK are to blame? LOL!!!!!

Wow i witnissed that today :O, comin back from the mall

the whole "pedestrian has the right of way" mentality is naught in a prince george winter where there are poor road conditions and even worse visibility. not laying blame here but just because you're at a crosswalk doesn't mean that cars will always stop as soon as you decide to step off the curb, always wait to make sure they will stop and make eye contact with the driver.

I am so disappointed reading this comments. Regardless, life is busy and this woman probably had a million things on her mind. But bottom line is she hit two pedestrains in the crosswalk and she is wrong. She was probably so shook up and wasn't thinking clearly when she left the accident. It does not matter if they were being careless, the rule is pedestrains always have right of way.

This story could have had a far worse outcome and we should all be so relieved these students are okay.

Were these students in the crosswalk when along came the van and just ran into them like the driver had her eyes closed?

I hardly think so. Rather I would guess these students simply stepped out into the crosswalk thinking the world would come to a screaming halt because they were there.

Of course thats just an assumption of mine.

Just because they were hit in a crosswalk doesn't mean they were completely innocent of any blame.

bfair says..."It does not matter if they were being careless, the rule is pedestrains always have right of way"

You're saying that if you jumped out in front of a bus it's the bus drivers fault because you had the right of way?

Get real!

Good drivers expect people to step in front of them; it's called defensive driving. Poor driver's hit kids in marked crosswalks then have people make excuses like "they simply stepped out into the crosswalk.."

Well said, faxman.

Oh Dragonmaster. I try to put myself in others shoes. If those were your children, would your thoughts be the same.

Time for you to get real!

Pedestrians do have the right of way at crosswalks but they still , by law have to allow sufficient time for a vehicle to stop BEFORE stepping out. (You'd think this would be common sense)

This is from the Motor Vehicle Act:

Rights of way between
vehicle and pedestrian
179. (1.) Subject to section 180, the driver of a vehicle must yield the right of way to a pedestrian
where traffic control signals are not in place or not in operation when the pedestrian is
crossing the highway in a crosswalk and the pedestrian is on the half of the highway on
which the vehicle is travelling, or is approaching so closely from the other half of the
highway that he or she is in danger.
(2.) A pedestrian must not leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close it is impracticable for the driver to yield the right of way.
(3.) If a vehicle is slowing down or stopped at a crosswalk or at an intersection to permit a
pedestrian to cross the highway, the driver of a vehicle approaching from the rear must
not overtake and pass the vehicle that is slowing down or stopped.

I know my next comment will get some argument but I think in a lot of cases it would be safer to have no crosswalk at all. A lot of people assume if the crosswalk is there , drivers will just stop so they just walk out. This is obviously not always the case. With no crosswalk, (again in some cases)pedestrians are generally more cautious while crossing.

imorge not likely. Faxman it is not a black and white world.

Thanks for the info, dudeinpg.

Many of those PGSS teens cross the road without hesitation.
Yesterday the road conditions, and visibility, were very poor.

If those were my children there would be a discussion about taking responsibility for their own safety and confirming that a vehicle is slowing down and the driver has seen them.

Pedestrians do have the right of way at crosswalks but they still , by law have to allow sufficient time for a vehicle to stop BEFORE stepping out. (You'd think this would be common sense)

This is from the Motor Vehicle Act:

Rights of way between
vehicle and pedestrian
179. (1.) Subject to section 180, the driver of a vehicle must yield the right of way to a pedestrian
where traffic control signals are not in place or not in operation when the pedestrian is
crossing the highway in a crosswalk and the pedestrian is on the half of the highway on
which the vehicle is travelling, or is approaching so closely from the other half of the
highway that he or she is in danger.
(2.) A pedestrian must not leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close it is impracticable for the driver to yield the right of way.
(3.) If a vehicle is slowing down or stopped at a crosswalk or at an intersection to permit a
pedestrian to cross the highway, the driver of a vehicle approaching from the rear must
not overtake and pass the vehicle that is slowing down or stopped.

I know my next comment will get some argument but I think in a lot of cases it would be safer to have no crosswalk at all. A lot of people assume if the crosswalk is there , drivers will just stop so they just walk out. This is obviously not always the case. With no crosswalk, (again in some cases)pedestrians are generally more cautious while crossing.

dudeinpg, common sense is sadly lacking in todays world. You just need to read many of the above comments.

"A pedestrian must not leave a curb or other place of safety and walk or run into the path of a vehicle that is so close it is impracticable for the driver to yield the right of way."

There lies the issue. The above regulation is constantly ignored. Many pedestrians think they have the right of way when they get out of bed in the morning.

I know when I'm a pedestrian and see two tons of steel cruising down the road, I'm waiting for it to be safe for me to proceed. I will be sure the vehicles come to a stop for me before I step out onto any crosswalk.
That is common sense.

Any pedestrian that doesn't do this is asking for trouble. They ignore this common sense rule, get hit, and it's always the drivers fault.

It's time for people to start taking resonsibility for their actions.

It's a sad world we live in.

Good grief, there isn't even enough information available to make a judgment call here and people are blaming kids, or blaming driver. I was driving a lot yesterday and it was difficult to see more than a few feet in front of you at times. Did anyone ever think this was simply an accident? Perhaps the kids thought the car was going slow enough and stopping while the driver didn't even see the kids. Perhaps the kids didn't even see the driver? Perhaps it was too slippery to stop? Obviously there weren't any serious injuries so it couldn't have been much of an impact.
Bottom line though, it is the driver's responsibility to be prepared for people in a crosswalk and it is also the driver's obligation to stop at the crosswalk, unless unsafe to do so.
Those students from PGSS do behave ridiculously, but the bottom line is that they are in the crosswalk, which is clearly marked, they do have the right of way and those in vehicles must yield to them.
On another note, I think the crosswalk on Massey and also the one just by Pine Center should be light controlled. It is a very busy street and when the students are moving through the crosswalks, traffic can't move for long periods of time. Having them light controlled would improve the flow of traffic, in my opinion.

Oh ya, bfair, I taught my kids all about safety surrounding all aspects of life living amongst the many idiots that inhabit this planet. They grew up knowing how to protect themselves from these idiots. My children are smart enough not to walk out onto a crosswalk until it is safe to do so and they know to pay attention to whats happening around them while doing so.
Unfortunately for those idiots that are lacking the grey matter to do the same, they don't always survive the other idiots that surround us.

"simply an accident"

"An accident is a specific, unexpected, unusual and unintended external action which occurs in a particular time and place, with no apparent and deliberate cause but with marked effects"

This was no "accident". Someone is to blame here.

Tyson_6795 : You said you witnessed that accident. What did you see? What actually happened?

vetech, good comment about making eye contact between driver and ped. It makes a ton of sense. This is one of the first road safety things that should be taught to kids at home and at school.

Do they wont do be "dead right ", what a way to proof a Point. Driver gets a Fine you get the Coffin !