Calgary police continue to search for the driver of a hit and run that mowed down two children in a marked crosswalk last year and the young victims are now speaking out about what happened that day.
Ty and Brianna Chinery were seriously injured after a vehicle blew through a stop sign at the intersection of Berkley Drive and Bermondsey Way NW at about 7:30 a.m. on November 20, 2015.
“We were just walking and it hit me right on the right side. I fell over, drove right over me, my backpack got caught so I rolled under,” said Ty.
“It just felt numb,” said Brianna.
The driver of the truck, believed to be a white, Dodge Ram, fled the scene and has still not been apprehended.
The children suffered broken bones and internal injuries in the crash and were rushed to hospital.
Their brother was able to escape physical injury but was traumatized from witnessing the collision.
“I’m comforted in the fact that they’re healing externally, I can see that every day, but I am concerned about their emotional and mental well-being since the accident. I do see things that have changed their personality a bit and almost made them grow up sooner that they should have and that’s concerning to me and I hope that they overcome that as well,” said the children’s mother Amber.
They are out of hospital now and are speaking out about their experience in the hopes that the driver will come forward and take responsibility.
"I think he should turn himself in because just hiding is going to make it worse,” said Ty. “I think we should slow down everywhere and put, at least if we can, stop lights in crosswalks.”
"I hope they find the guy that hurt me and I don't want to see that happen to anyone else,” said Brianna.
“It worries me that there’s people out there that do that sort of thing and don’t show the remorse or come forward for their actions and therefore we have to find another way of closure for my family,” said Amber.
Amber says the intersection is dangerous because there are no lights and she wants to see changes made to prevent other people from getting hurt.
“Almost every person that comes down that road is going faster than they should. I’ve seen countless children run across that road just to make sure they get across safely and I’ve seen a lot of close calls, besides what happened to my children, so there needs to be something done and people need to be more aware,” she said.
A public, town hall meeting will be held on February 10th at the Salvation Army Berkshire Citadel Church, located at 222 Sandarac Drive NW, at 6:30 pm. to share ideas on how to make the city safer for pedestrians.
For more on the town hall, click HERE.
(With files from Kathy Le)
