A 21-year-old Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) man has died after being struck by a taxi near Eslhá7an (Mission 1 Reserve) in North Vancouver.
In the early hours of Saturday morning North Vancouver RCMP and the Lower Mainland Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service were called to a serious crash at the intersection of West First Street and Forbes Avenue.
BC Emergency Health Services received a call at 5:29 a.m. and dispatched two ambulances to the scene, confirmed a spokesperson.
Lifesaving first aid was attempted by both fire and rescue services and ambulance paramedics but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Preliminary investigation indicates the taxi was travelling south on Forbes Avenue near West First Street when it struck the pedestrian, according to North Vancouver RCMP.
The man was at or near a pedestrian crosswalk at the time he was struck, but police are still investigating exactly where the pedestrian was when he was hit by the taxi, said Const. Mansoor Sahak, spokesman for the North Vancouver RCMP.
Impaired driving has been ruled out as a possible cause of the crash.
Police are still investigating how fast the taxi was going when it hit the pedestrian.
Police have spoken to several witnesses, Sahak confirmed, but are looking to speak with anyone else who was in the area just before the crash and may have either dashcam or CCTV video footage leading up to the collision or of the crash itself.
Sahak said the driver is co-operating with the investigation.
Elected Squamish Nation council member Sxwíxwtn (Wilson Williams) said the man who died was a beloved member of the community, and the grief over his loss has rippled throughout the entire Squamish Nation.
"We're still in shock, and we're overwhelmed with loss," he said.
"He was a very good-hearted man. He came from such a beautiful family, and he had such a great circle of friends. The outpouring of love we've witnessed in the past two days shows directly how much of a good person he was. Our hearts go out to his family," he said.
The man, whose name has been withheld out of respect for his family, was a promising lacrosse player, said Williams.
"This young man had such a strong aura of love and friendship for everyone he crossed paths with. He had a really strong lineage to lacrosse and he was a very good offensive player and a good stick handler, but more importantly, he was a great teammate."
Additional resources have been brought in to the community to offer support, including crisis counsellors and additional staff, he added. The Youth Centre will also be open for extended hours.
"We are sending our thoughts, strength and prayers to the victim’s family and friends," he said.
The North Vancouver Victim Services Unit and Integrated First Nations Unit are also providing support to those affected.
Williams said he hopes the fatal crash draws attention to the current safety risks associated with the streets surrounding the reserve.
"Forbes Avenue, Esplanade and First Street have always been an issue. We've lost several members there over the past 100 years. Also Third Street and Mission Road, which is just a block over, needs more safety concerns addressed and mitigated," he said.
"We're looking to talk to the City of North Vancouver after we have properly grieved our loved one, and we look forward to speaking with them in the near future on mitigation."
Mina Kerr-Lazenby is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
