EDMONTON - Southbound traffic along a portion of Anthony Henday Drive was closed for much of Thursday morning, hours after a Good Samaritan was struck and killed in a hit-and-run after he stopped to help a stranded motorist in southwest Edmonton.
The victim stopped on the Henday southbound, just north of Callingwood Road, to assist with a stalled car around 11:20 p.m. Wednesday, said acting Insp. Graham Hogg.
“While he was out on foot, he was struck by a passing vehicle that did not remain at the scene and fled the area,” he said. “Our Good Samaritan died instantly from his injuries.”
The victim has been identified by his friend and roommate as 46-year-old Andrew Green. “I talked to his parents," says Teru Skinner, who's known Green for 20 years. "They don’t want Andy to be just a faceless Good Samaritan.”
Green moved to Edmonton from Pickering, Ontario six months ago. Skinner is remembering Green as someone "who never gave up."
"He was the classic Good Samaritan. He wanted to help everyone, make people smile. That was who he was." Skinner says his friend moved to Edmonton for a fresh start.
"He didn't lead or have a perfect life," explains Skinner. "He had hard circumstances that he dealt with, and he dealt with them." His long-time friend says it wasn't the challenges Green faced that defined him, it was how he kept going in spite of them."
"One thing was he always kept trying, he kept coming back. That's why he came out here, he was starting over, to redo some things in life and see where it'd take him. Everything was falling right into place for him, he was getting back into things that he loved doing like riding motorcycles, riding his mountain bike, he was going to the gym, he quit smoking, he was doing things he liked doing."
Inspectors say there were at least two witnesses to the hit and run.
“Our witnesses were broken down, and quite shaken up by it," says Hogg. Skinner hasn't heard much about the people his friend was tried to help, but he feels for them as well.
“I haven’t heard anything, other than I know they’re traumatized," he says. ” “I feel sorry for them because they had to deal with that… the reality is, he would have almost been leaning in the car when he got hit, they had to watch that first hand, that’s something you see in horror films.”
However, the devastating nature of Green's death isn't how Skinner will remember his friend.
"I'm going to remember him as the person who never gave up, and kept trying, cause that's what he did, he always kept trying."
Police are searching for a large dark-coloured sport utility vehicle, with damage to the front passenger bumper, lights, fender and windshield. Hogg said police would continue to speak to witnesses for more information. Any other witnesses to the accident are asked to contact police.
More than six police cruisers were at the scene Wednesday night, along with the police collision investigation unit.
What appeared to be a red Dodge Neon could be seen parked on the shoulder of the Henday. The victim’s body, covered in a white blanket, could be seen behind the car’s rear tires. A grey sedan, propped up with a jack, was parked several metres north. An orange reflective triangle next to it appeared to be flattened.
Southbound lanes on the Henday, from Whitemud Drive to Lessard Road, were closed until about 11 a.m. as the crash was investigated, police said.
The death marks the 16th traffic fatality on Edmonton streets this year.
No comments:
Post a Comment