A Wednesday evening crash that sent two pedestrians to Barrie hospital has left them shaken and in pain, says the husband of one of the victims
Raki Islam told BarrieToday that his wife, Dipa, and her friend had just left their home on Bentley Crescent for a walk, looking to enjoy an unseasonably warm October evening, when they were struck crossing the lights at the intersection of Mapleton Avenue and Veterans Drive.
“They walked maybe five minutes on the main road and from there they maybe wanted to go straight to Food Basics of the Tim Hortons. When they saw the red signal for all the cars, the sign for pedestrians to go was (flashing) … and suddenly from the opposite side … is coming one big truck, blue colour,” he said. “Then it took a left turn and hit them."
Both women fell to the pavement as if they’d been “pushed very hard” from the impact, he added.
“Instantly, her friend … becomes totally senseless. My wife was not senseless, so she was just very much shocked. Instead of focusing on herself, she was focused on the friend … was she OK? Did she die? Is she in a coma? But (my wife) was the same as her injured (friend), but she had a sense.”
Raki, who was at their home only a few minutes away, said he got a frantic call from his wife following the crash, telling BarrieToday he initially couldn’t make out what had happened.
“I just heard crying, a crowd and lots of people with ambulances and police. I understood that something (had) happened outside,” he said. “I just ran from my house and saw lots of cars in that intersection.”
Both women were lying in the street, Raki said, adding his wife was “in tears” and her friend was still “senseless.” She was treated first by paramedics at the scene and then taken by ambulance to Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH).
After his wife’s friend was taken to hospital, a paramedic attempted to help his wife to her feet, but ultimately ended up calling for a second ambulance to come and take her to the emergency department as well for treatment.
Neither his wife nor her friend suffered any broken bones or internal injuries as a result of the collision and have since been released, he said. However, they are both still in significant pain from the bruising they suffered.
Raki said they are both expected to spend several months in rehabilitation as a result of the soft-tissue injuries they sustained.
“My wife is (in) lots of pain with broken tissue and everything,” he said. “We don’t know how much. It may be shock and pain together. We are very sad. All of the night she didn’t sleep, even though they gave her very high (medication). She’s crying with the pain.”
Raki said he was grateful to the people who were nearby and who provided their statements to police.
Barrie police say they received a call around 6:15 p.m. on Oct. 30 about two pedestrians being struck at the intersection.
"The vehicle remained on scene. Front-line officers attended, as well as officers from the traffic services unit," said Barrie police spokesperson Jennett Mays.
Veterans Drive was closed between Caplan Avenue and Harvie Drive while the incident was investigated.
Police have not released any other information about the crash, including whether charges had been laid.
The investigation remains ongoing.
