|
|
One dead, seven injured after car slams into picnickers in Victoria
One dead, seven injured after car slams into picnickers in Victoria
VICTORIA — An out-of-control car going in wrong direction at the Victoria International Airport Friday afternoon jumped curbs, smashed through a picnic-table full of cabbies and plowed into a security building — seriously injuring eight people.
At least seven taxi drivers and the female driver of the car were injured in the bizarre crash.
The wayward car jumped a curb from the airport's short-term parking lot, crossed oncoming traffic, jumped another curb and raced up a berm into a picnic table where Yellow Cab drivers often gather to await fares.
The car continued on before being stopped by the airport's security building, said Geoff Dickson, president of the Victoria Airport Authority.
How that could happen "is what we're all trying to piece together," Dickson said.
The victims and the driver were rushed to hospitals throughout the area, said RCMP Cpl. Chris Swain of the Sidney detachment.
"All are seriously hurt," Swain said.
There are discrepancies among police, paramedics and the airport authority about how many people were injured. A tally at mid-afternoon said seven cabbies and one female driver, for a total of eight, were injured.
Sushil Hira, of Yellow Cab was told eight of his drivers are injured: "Two are in serious injury and one they are not telling anything."
The speed limit where cars enter the airport is about 20 kilometres per hour, Hira said. "It seems like this lady was easily over 100 km/h."
Hira said the security building is about 30 to 40 metres from the picnic tables which are off to the east of the airport building and short-term parking on a "high median."
"That's when the car stopped after hitting all of them, flipping over them, and going over to the security building," Hira said.
Mohan Kang, president of the B.C. Taxi Association, worked from the airport for years. He said he can't understand how the crash could occur.
"I'm shocked," Kang said. "I see no reason how the accident could happen, how the car could go up to that higher space — even if you speed like hell, which you can't do there."
Early speculation suggested the female driver might have had a medical incident, but RCMP say there is nothing to confirm that at this time. |
|
發表於 2011-7-29 18:29
|