Elderly pedestrian killed in Nepean marks Ottawa's 33rd traffic fatality this year

OTTAWA · An elderly woman was struck and killed by a vehicle in Ottawa's Nepean area on Tuesday evening, marking the 33rd traffic-related fatality in the city this year. Ottawa police said officers responded to a single-vehicle collision at the intersection of Viewmount Drive and Saginaw Crescent at 7:38 p.m. on Nov. 10. The pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene. The roads were closed for the investigation and reopened by around 6:45 a.m. Wednesday.

Knoxdale-Merivale Coun. Sean Devine said he was heartbroken after visiting the scene and speaking with the woman's family members, who said she was walking home when she was struck. "A few hours ago an elderly woman was hit and killed while walking home," Devine wrote in a social media post. He said he was standing with the woman's granddaughter and family just after the incident unfolded.

"It really brings home the devastation that these tragedies cause when you're standing just a few feet away from someone in shock over realizing that their loved one is gone, even as they can see the body still lying on the road," Devine said. He noted he has been pushing for safety improvements on Viewmount Drive, but said such projects always take a long time to complete. "But I've got a very sad reason for making sure that safety improvements to this corridor get completed," he added. Police have not released the victim's name or any information about arrests or suspects, and no cause of the collision has been shared. The Ottawa Police Service Fatal Collision Investigation Unit is asking any witnesses who have not yet come forward, or anyone with dashcam footage of the incident, to contact them at 613-236-1222, extension 2345. The woman's death is the 33rd fatality this year in traffic-related incidents involving vulnerable road users, and the 12th pedestrian to be killed by a vehicle on Ottawa streets. This year's total of 33 traffic fatalities is the highest recorded in Ottawa in more than a decade, far above the recent average of around 22 deaths and surpassing the previous high of 29 in 2017.

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Police have been conducting traffic enforcement blitzes and appealing to motorists to slow down and change their driving behaviour during the city's deadliest year for traffic fatalities in over ten years. A recent blitz in the south end from Nov. 2-5 resulted in 248 drivers being charged, while a campaign in the west end on the weekend of Nov. 6-7, just days before the latest fatality, saw 101 charges laid. Hundreds of tickets were issued for speeding and other infractions like failing to stop at a stop sign, using a hand-held communication device while driving and driving in reserved bus lanes.

City leaders have asked drivers to slow down, pay attention and follow the rules of the road, saying distracted and aggressive driving are particular problems. Sgt. Josh Callaghan of the road safety unit told CityNews that officers have seen an increase in drivers, cyclists and pedestrians not abiding by the rules. "I truly do feel that based on everything we're seeing that it does come down to increased speeds, distracted driving, and just overall lack of care for one another," Callaghan said. "It just seems since COVID, the lack of care for our fellow community members has just really gone down."

With files from Ottawa Citizen, CBC News and CityNews