Vehicle collision snaps wooden pedestrian bridge

Updated:

A single vehicle crashed through the wooden guard rail at the intersection of George Hills Way and Cow Bay Road just after 10:15 a.m. on Aug. 24.

The Honda SUV-style vehicle landed on the harbour embankment below Breakers Pub where the lone female occupant, who was alert and verbal, was extracted by Prince Rupert Fire Department and then transported to hospital by BC Ambulance crews.

The impact of the vehicle snapped the wooden pedestrian bridge to an entranceway at the restaurant.

“Firefighters had to stabilize the vehicle because it was resting it on its side,” Chad Cooper, deputy fire chief, told The Northern View.

Cooper said the fire crew arrived on the scene very quickly and with the nature of the call was expecting a water rescue and possibly some serious injury. However, it was low tide and there was no water present at the time, the deputy chief said

“We credit that the patient was wearing a seatbelt at the time and with modern technology the side curtain airbags deployed which reduced injury,” he said.

Witness to the incident Deo Araujo said he was walking down the street in front of Cowpuccino’s toward Breakers when the incident occurred. He said he heard the crash clearly and immediately knew it involved a vehicle.

“I heard the sound of a car crashing. It was unmistakable … it was too loud and too hard to be anything else.”

Araujo said he ran over immediately to offer assistance, and people were quick to phone 911. Emergency services arrived within minutes he said.

Prince Rupert Fire Department was assisted in the incident by RCMP and BC Ambulance crews.