A 58-year-old man has been charged in connection to the fatal hit and run death of a woman on Monday night.
At about 11:15 p.m. on Monday, 33-year-old Farida Abdurahman was crossing Centre Street N. at 43 Avenue in a marked crosswalk when a silver Buick Regal hit her.
Abdurahman was left for dead in the crosswalk, the vehicle fleeing the scene.
Residents in the area rushed to her aid and called for an ambulance. She was taken to hospital where she later died.
On Wednesday, police charged Robert Mark Varley, 58, with hit and run causing death.
Sgt. Colin Foster with the CPS Traffic Unit said on Wednesday that Varley was initially evasive with police, but eventually did admit his involvement in the crash.
He says that Varley would have known he hit someone. "Whether or not he could see her, that's still under investigation."
Other people who live in the area say the crosswalk has been a sore spot for years, saying they’ve been asking for the city to install a stop light in that area for some time.
Alexandra Bertulfo, who lives nearby, said the situation is very sad and she most likely would have seen Abdurahman at some point while living there. "When you hear about stuff like that it really gets to you. It could be your family member out there. My husband always comes home at night so it scares me - what if that was him?"
She said that it's really dangerous at the crosswalk because visibility is particularly poor when drivers come up towards the intersection. "They're not looking, coming too fast, or sometimes the bus can block you, so they don't see you. I think it's one of the most dangerous places to cross."
The crosswalk is so terrifying that Bertulfo says she doesn't use it.
Residents also say that the speeds people drive on the stretch of road, particularly when they are going southbound approaching the intersection.
Foster said that the CPS meets with the city every three months to provide an opinion on what will help public safety. "As a result of this collision, we will be speaking with the city and put forward some suggestions to make that intersection safer. At the end of the day, the city needs to balance safety of citizens with cost."
Some of those suggestions could include overhead lights, pedestrian-activated lights, or even removing the crossing from that location altogether.
Ward 7 Councillor Druh Farrell says it is a well-known intersection, but for all the wrong reasons. “If you look at a map and collisions that cause injuries for pedestrians, in certain parts of the city you can’t see the map because of the dots. That’s not acceptable.”
She says that the city is looking at some design elements to help improve safety at this particular intersection to prevent further incidents.
Varley will next appear in court on August 6, 2015.
