Senior in life-threatening condition after being hit by own vehicle in Calgary lot

A tragic accident in the southeast community of Deer Run sent a Calgary senior to hospital in life threatening condition.

Sgt. Dylan Harris of the Calgary Police Service says the incident began with a “minor collision between two vehicles” in the parking lot of a strip mall near the intersection of Canyon Meadows Drive and Bow Bottom Trail at around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday.

“An elderly woman got out to inspect the damage and unfortunately she was struck by her own vehicle,” says Harris.

Darlene Fedyna, who was amongst the first people on scene, says she was “just loading up her groceries when she heard a cry out and then a crunch.”

“I looked to my right and this rolling vehicle was coming up the (parking) lot and I had to push my cart away and jump out of the way,” said Fedyna. “We ran out to the cry and unfortunately there was a terrible accident.

She says the injured woman told her she thought the vehicle was in park and “then it wasn’t and it ran over her.”

Police are investigating the cause of the accident, but Sgt. Harris says the woman may have been distracted by the initial minor collision and forgot to put her vehicle in park.

“Sometimes the shock can set in and then that led to the distraction and (that could be) why this happened,” said Harris.

Harris says police haven’t been able to locate any witnesses to the initial crash, but there are witnesses to the aftermath.

Ed Grijalva was another of the people first on scene.  “I was just coming into the bank and saw this lady lying on the ground, so we called an ambulance.”

Fedyna says she grabbed a blanket and another woman applied first-aid until the ambulance arrived. The woman was said to be conscious at the time.

“It was just a horrible, freaky thing on a Wednesday morning while getting groceries,” said Fedyna. “I just pray she’s going to be okay.”

With files from Global News’ Craig Momney

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