Ontario Provincial Police are asking the public for assistance after a black SUV, possibly a Volkswagen Tiguan, struck an elderly woman and fled the scene in Elliot Lake. Woman struck while crossing street OPP said the incident occurred at 4:54 p.m. on Oct. 10, when a black SUV was travelling east on Esten Drive South and made a left turn onto Stewart Crescent when it struck an elderly female pedestrian walking across Stewart Crescent. The woman, 84, was out for her daily walk at the time, family told CTV News. Christine Honsinger, a member of the woman’s family member, described what happened. “She’s an 84-year-old. She’s very active for her age,” she said. “She walks just about every day around the same time she was out walking. She was getting close to home, crossing Esten and Stuart, and she was struck from behind.” Driver stopped, then fled Police said the driver initially stopped, got out and asked the woman if she was okay. The family said the woman told the driver “no,” and he said he was going to get help before taking off, going back west on Esten Drive South, where he was initially coming from. Sean Silverton, another family member of the woman struck, described to CTV News what she told him about the driver. “He got closer to her and he says, ‘Are you okay?’ And she says, ‘no, I need help,’” he said. “He said, ‘I’ll go get help.’ He looked around and said, ‘I’m going to go get help,’ and he got in his car and he took off.” Laying on road The family said that after the driver left, she was lying on the road alone for 15 to 20 minutes before a passerby found her and called an ambulance. OPP said the woman was transported to hospital via ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries. The woman was then transferred to Sudbury’s Health Sciences North, where she is being treated. Family describes injuries “We’re thinking she has a concussion. She has lots of bumps, contusions, cuts, abrasions, lacerations, a shattered knee, legs,” Silverton said. “She’s gonna probably need knee replacement surgery, but it’s going to be a long road and they say she probably will never be the same again.” Driver description OPP described the driver of the SUV as a Caucasian man in his 60s wearing prescription glasses. Police added that the black SUV may have sustained front-end damage. Accountability wanted The family said they just want him to be held accountable. James Silverton, a family member, said he hopes the driver comes forward or is caught soon. “I was hoping that he either comes forward himself or he’s caught soon,” said Silverton. “They have a good description of him and his vehicle. So it’s, I believe, a matter of time.” Sean Silverton said the driver may have had a reason to be in the area. “He was turning onto a crescent, so he must have been visiting somebody. Or he lives on that crescent, or he was doing, like, a food delivery for somebody on that street,” he said. Honsinger said the incident happened at dinner time. “It was dinner time. So it could have been somebody coming for Thanksgiving dinner, and they canceled last second,” she said. Public assistance sought Both OPP and the woman’s family are asking community members who have dash cam footage, CCTV footage, knowledge of the accident, or information about the black SUV with possible front-end damage to report it. Anyone can call the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously using reference number E261473100.
