After a non-fatal traffic accident during a running event at UBC, the organizer and the RCMP are investigating the case to prevent future injuries.
On November 4 morning, a runner was hit by a TransLink bus during the annual Fall Classic Half Marathon that takes place on campus. The runner, a man in his late 50s, fortunately sustained no life-threatening injuries.
According to RUNVAN, the runner was not registered in the half marathon, but he was running along to support a friend. He was registered to race in the 10-kilometre event later that morning.
At the time of the accident, he was running in the right eastbound lane of SW Marine Drive, which had been designated for the day’s races. When he turned to leave, he ran off course out of the right lane and into oncoming traffic in the left lane.
The bus driver had time to brake but could not come to a full stop before colliding into the runner, who was rushed to the hospital for treatment. He has now been released from hospital, and is expected to make a full recovery.
In the meantime, the RCMP and event’s organizer RUNVAN are investigating the accident.
“We are wanting, of course, to look into why it happened, how it happened, etc. and if there's anything that could be criminal or chargeable in nature,” said RCMP Spokeswoman Dawn Roberts. “That investigation is still active and ongoing.”
The RCMP will also consider making changes that would prevent accidents in the future.
“One of the other things that we will look at is working very closely with the race organizers to determine if there's anything that can be done in the future to mitigate such a risk,” said Roberts.
RUNVAN wrote in an emailed statement to The Ubyssey that it “will conduct a thorough review with all stakeholders in the coming weeks.”
The RCMP and RUNVAN noted that this incident was the first of its kind, but the race’s organizer also reiterated its focus on safety.
“Safety is a priority of our non-profit, and we were very sorry to learn of this situation,” reads the statement, “Our thoughts remain with the individual and his family at this time.”
The Ubyssey contacted Translink, but was asked to direct questions to RCMP.
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