Nanaimo Fire Rescue crews worked quickly to stabilize the vehicle and remove an 83-year-old woman from underneath the car late Monday afternoon. (Nanaimo Fire Rescue)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

rapid response

Nanaimo senior sustains ‘very serious injuries’ after being pinned underneath minivan

Nov 28, 2023 | 9:21 AM

NANAIMO — An 83-year-old woman remains in hospital with “significant, very serious” injuries after being hit by a minivan in downtown Nanaimo.

On Monday, Nov. 27 shortly before 3 p.m., emergency crews were called to Front St., at the intersection behind Port Place Shopping Centre and adjacent to the Nanaimo Harbour ferry terminal to Gabriola Island.

Nanaimo RCMP Reserve Cst. Gary O’Brien said the woman, who was riding a mobility scooter, was attempting to cross Front St. towards the water when she was hit by the van.

“The victim was initially trapped underneath the vehicle and had to be extracted by first responders and taken to hospital. It appeared that the driver of the vehicle involved, a Grand Caravan, was attempting to make a right hand turn into the Port Place mall.”

O’Brien said it was “too early to say” in their investigation whether the woman on the scooter was crossing with the light.

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Drugs and alcohol have been ruled out as contributing factors in the crash on behalf of the van’s driver, a 70-year-old Nanaimo woman, O’Brien said.

An 83-year-old woman was pinned underneath a minivan after an incident on Front St. behind Port Place Shopping Centre late Monday afternoon. (Nanaimo Fire Rescue)

RCMP Victim Services are supporting “a number” of people connected to the incident, according to O’Brien.

The section of Front St. was closed for upwards of three hours as experts, including RCMP Collision Reconstruction Analysts, attended the scene.

Police are asking anyone with dash cam footage of the incident, or people who witnessed the crash and haven’t spoken to Mounties, to contact the Nanaimo detachment at 1-250-754-2345.

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