A Chilliwack woman and the RCMP are appealing to the public for information about a hit-and-run incident on Highway 1 that could have killed the woman's stepfather.
Scott Grant was driving home from his job in Surrey around 3 a.m. on Wednesday "minding his own business, doing the speed limit," according to Stephanie Brown, when he was struck from behind by a transport truck, launching his Toyota Corolla off the road into the adjacent water-filled ditch.
She says the truck driver fled the scene.
"The sick part is that guy didn't even care if he died," she told the Times the day of the accident. "He didn't even stop. The guy driving that semi needs to be found."
Brown said her stepfather's car flipped "about five times" before it ended up in the water. Luckily, the car did not land on its roof although it did fill with water.
Grant then managed to pull himself from the car, drag himself up the embankment to the shoulder of the highway and that's when it got even worse, according to Brown.
"He was waving for help for about an hour," she said. "No one stopped to help him or call 9-1-1. I'm just appalled with people."
Getting no response from passersby, Grant walked from the spot of the crash near Prest Road back to the Young Road exit. From there he walked up to a gas station near city hall to call 9-1-1.
Brown said her stepfather spent a few hours at Chilliwack General Hospital but was released with relatively minor injuries.
"He's really sore," Brown said Thursday. "He can barely move today."
“The victim was very fortunate not to sustain serious injury,” said RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Len vanNieuwenhuizen. “ We have classified this as a criminal code hit and run and are treating this very seriously.”
The rear bumper of the victim's vehicle has been seized for forensic examination with the hope of identifying the offending vehicle.
Brown is appealing to anyone who might have seen something at that time on the highway to contact Chilliwack RCMP, and if anyone east of here knows of a truck driver who has unexplained damage to the front of his vehicle, to notify the authorities.
Grant's car was a dark blue 2005 Toyota Corolla.
Anyone with knowledge of this event are asked to call Chilliwack RCMP at 604-792-4611, reference file 2014-13084, or, if to remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS).