VANCOUVER, B.C. - A seven-year-old girl struck by a vehicle in East Vancouver on Thursday morning has been released from hospital with minor injuries, and Vancouver police are pointing to the incident as a reminder to take extra care on the roads as daylight hours shrink.
Officers were near East Pender Street and Victoria Drive at about 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 22, attending an unrelated call when they saw the girl try to cross the street mid-block, passing between parked vehicles to reach her parents’ vehicle on the opposite side, police said. She ran into the roadway and was struck by a vehicle travelling at about 20 km/h. The driver was unable to see the child before she entered the roadway.
The driver remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators, police said. The girl was transported to hospital and has since been released with minor injuries.
“This incident is an important reminder for pedestrians to exercise additional caution and for drivers to stay vigilant, especially during darker morning and evening commutes,” Constable Megan Lui said.
With the days getting shorter, morning and evening trips increasingly happen in low light, when children heading to and from school can be harder for drivers to spot, particularly when they step out from between parked cars. Police are reminding pedestrians to exercise additional caution and drivers to stay vigilant during the darker morning and evening commutes.
The warning also comes as Halloween approaches. Police encourage families to plan ahead and to remind children to use crosswalks, stay visible and be aware of traffic when out in their neighbourhoods.
The same caution applies on school routes across Metro Vancouver, including in Surrey, where late-October sunrises mean many children now walk and ride to school in dim light.
Source: Vancouver Police Department news release, October 23, 2026
