PEDESTRIAN ACCIDENT DISTURBS SPIRIT OF PLACE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

Ancient beliefs in the “genius loci,” or spirit of place, describe locations imbued with intense energy or are, as some say, the abode of great bear spirits or even of fairies. Many such places have been identified in British Columbia where urban centers are nestled among awe-inspiring natural landscapes. When a pedestrian accident follows a fatal one within mere days at the exact same crosswalk, it adds another, deadly dimension to the notion of spirit of place.

Burnaby RCMP are still searching for the driver of a black vehicle who, witnesses reported, flew through the Cariboo Trail intersection after hitting a pedestrian. The victim of this, the third accident event in only one week, was more fortunate than the 15-year-old who was fatally struck down earlier the same week. The crosswalk, where residents have set up a memorial to the youngster, still resonates with her loss.

Grief, too, has an energy that can mobilize whole communities or families left bereft of a loved one for no fathomable reason. Yet, the poignancy of losing such a young one to excessive speed or driver impatience may lead the family to seek legal counsel. At such times, the advice of a lawyer might conceivably help diminish their emotional turmoil by assisting them through the journey forward.

As with so many other notable sites, even a crosswalk may harbour memories that call out for justice in one way or another. The pedestrian who suffered non-life threatening injuries in the recent hit-and-run accident might also wonder what the law could bring to bear in such a case. An experienced British Columbia personal injury lawyer could help determine whether the circumstances of this pedestrian accident could be brought for adjudication before a civil court — another location where a spirit of place resides.

Source: castanet.net, “2nd Burnaby pedestrian hit“, Chelsea Powrie, Jan. 22, 2018