A pedestrian is in hospital with life-threatening injuries after being hit by a vehicle in northeast Calgary early Monday.
Emergency crews were called to the intersection of Martinbrook Gate and Martindale Boulevard N.E. just after 5:30 a.m. on Oct. 26. Police say a driver hit a pedestrian. The driver stayed at the scene.
An EMS spokesperson said the pedestrian was taken to hospital in life-threatening condition.
The intersection was closed while police investigated, and drivers and pedestrians were asked to use other routes.
What we know so far
Police haven’t released the pedestrian’s age or gender, or said what led to the collision. They haven’t said whether speed, impairment, visibility or road conditions played a role, or whether any charges are being considered.
It was still dark when the crash happened. Sunrise in Calgary on Monday wasn’t until about 8:18 a.m.
The same road as Calgary’s riskiest crossing
Monday’s crash happened on a street the city had already flagged.
In late August, the City of Calgary released a ranking of risky intersections for pedestrians. It used its AI platform to score more than 17,000 intersections across the city. The No. 1 site on its list of the 50 highest-risk intersections without traffic signals was Martindale Boulevard and Martindale Gate N.E.
That’s not where Monday’s crash happened. Monday’s collision was at Martinbrook Gate and Martindale Boulevard, a different intersection on the same road.
The second-highest site on the list was in the northeast too, at Falshire Drive and Falton Drive N.E.
Ward 5 Coun. Raj Dhaliwal, whose ward includes Martindale, said at the time he was surprised that four of the top 10 intersections were in his ward. He said he wanted to know “why, how and what” was behind the rankings.
What the city wants to fix, and when
The city’s report recommended safety upgrades at 26 of the 50 intersections, at an estimated cost of about $6 million. The upgrades could include curb extensions and redesigned crossings.
That money hasn’t been approved. If council funds it during budget talks in November, design work could start in 2027 and construction in 2028.
The point of the AI ranking was to find dangerous crossings before people get hurt, instead of waiting for crashes to show where the problems are.
There’s no information yet suggesting Monday’s crash is connected to the conditions the city identified at Martindale Gate. But it does mean the next budget debate will have a recent example close at hand.
A tough stretch for Calgary pedestrians
Last year, 15 pedestrians were killed on Calgary roads, the most in 11 years.
By late August this year, six more had died and another 283 pedestrian collisions had caused injuries, Global News reported.
The City’s Safer Mobility Plan aims to cut serious injury and fatal collisions by 25 per cent by 2028.
Darker mornings ahead
Monday’s crash happened nearly three hours before sunrise. That’s normal for this time of year, and it’s going to stay that way.
Alberta has stopped changing its clocks, so there’s no time change in November to bring the sunrise earlier. Commuters will be walking and driving in the dark for most of the winter.
Police haven’t said whether darkness had anything to do with Monday’s crash.
Read more: Alberta Time Is Official: Bill 31 Ends Clock Changes for Good in Alberta
Have information?
Anyone who saw the collision or has information is asked to call the Calgary Police Service non-emergency line at 403-266-1234.
To stay anonymous, contact Calgary Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or calgarycrimestoppers.org.
Our thoughts are with the pedestrian and their family. This story will be updated as police release more information.
Sources
Calgary Police Service, newsroom: https://newsroom.calgary.ca/
City of Calgary, Vision Zero and traffic safety: https://www.calgary.ca/roads/safety/vision-zero.html
City of Calgary, Safer Mobility Plan: https://www.calgary.ca/roads/traffic-safety/safer-mobility-plan.html
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