Two dead after pedestrians struck at Canada truth and reconciliation event
Police said a driver experienced "a medical emergency" before hitting four pedestrians in British Columbia.
Two people dead after pedestrians were hit at Canada truth and reconciliation event
The incident took place during a walk marking Truth and Reconciliation Day, a national holiday that honours victims and survivors of Canada’s residential schools.
Two people were killed and two others were injured after a car struck pedestrians during a community walk in British Columbia marking Canada’s National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The collision happened on Tsawwassen First Nation land, south of Vancouver near the US-Canada border.
Police said the driver "may have been experiencing a medical emergency" before the crash, and that there is no continuing threat to public safety.
They also said they do not believe it is connected to Truth and Reconciliation Day, the national holiday that honours victims and survivors of Canada’s residential schools, which aimed to forcefully assimilate indigenous children.
The Delta Police Department, which covers the area where the incident occurred, said the collision happened at about 10:25 local time (16:25 BST) in a local parking lot.
Police said they are at the scene investigating and have told residents to stay away from the area. They added that the two injured people are being treated in hospital.
"Our thoughts are with the families, loved ones, and all those affected by this tragic incident," Delta Police said.
Eyewitness accounts from CBC News reporters at the scene said more than a dozen ambulances were responding to the incident.
In a social media post promoting the event last week, Tsawwassen First Nation said it had planned a community walk followed by the unveiling of a house post in honour of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
The event was scheduled to run from 09:30 to 13:00 local time.
In an X post that now appears to have been deleted, Canada’s energy minister Tim Hodgson said he attended the walk and shared two images from the event.
It is not clear whether he was still there when the collision happened.
According to its website, Tsawwassen First Nation has 491 members, with half living on Tsawwassen lands and others in nearby areas, including across the border in Bellingham, Washington.
Canada began observing its National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in 2021, after the discovery of unmarked burial sites at former residential schools.
The holiday falls on the same day as Orange Shirt Day, an indigenous grassroots-led day of remembrance to honour children who were missing or died in residential schools.