‘She really is a hero’
Woman pinned to Sydney home by car thought to have pushed daughter to safety before impact
A woman seriously injured after being pinned to a St. Peter’s Road home by a car on Thursday is being hailed as a hero.
Angelique
Swan suffered multiple fractures and a serious neck injury when an out-ofcontrol car hit her near a wellused school bus stop.
The family dog was killed in the same incident, but her common-law husband said quick thinking by Swan likely saved their five-year-old daughter.
“She really is a hero,” said Jason MacLean. “She obviously doesn’t want the title. Everybody is a little modest when it comes to that, but in my eyes she saved my little girl.”
His family lives on Sutherland Street, not far from the corner of Sutherland and St. Peter’s Road where Swan was hit by the car.
Walking their five-year-old
daughter to the bus stop in that area is part of Swan’s morning routine. She doesn’t remember most of the terrible incident that disrupted that routine at around 8:30 a.m. Thursday morning, but witnesses have told MacLean that she pushed their daughter Stella out of harm’s way before the moment of impact.
“It makes sense because my daughter is attached to the hip with her. She’s holding her hand all the time. I know she was right by her side. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if that was the case.”
The family dog that died at the scene was known as Link — a rescue dog that had made a special bond with their family since they took him home in September.
“He blended right in with the family,” he said. “That’s one of the hardest pills on top of the injuries. The kids are brokenhearted.”
Though their daughter remains traumatized by the incident, she escaped any injury.
The 36-year-old Swan, however, faces a long road to recovery.
Her injuries include a broken neck, a cracked collarbone, fractured ribs and many stitches on her forehead. She has extensive bruising all over her body, too.
The doctor treating her told MacLean it all could have been much worse.
“Most of those injuries he sees come in you are either paralyzed or not. It all depends on the impact. She was on the fortunate side that the impact wasn’t in the right spot where it caused her to be paralyzed.”
Hard work will be necessary if she is to fully recover, but her husband said she’s no stranger to that, having just completed a bachelor of arts degree while making the dean’s list for outstanding marks.
Her outlook on life will also help, he added.
“She was concerned about the girl that hit her at the scene when I was there. She was asking how the girl was while the ambulance was loading her. She knew she was upset. That’s the person she is.”
Swan will wear a neck brace for a minimum of eight weeks as she recovers. A surgeon in Halifax next week will determine the actual length of time it must be worn.
Surgery also remains a possibility at this point in her recovery.
MacLean said his employer, as well as fellow volunteer firefighters at the Grand Lake Road Volunteer Fire Department, have been incredibly supportive during his family’s ordeal.
He’s touched that the rest of the community has made nonstop phone calls, and offers of support and prayers.
“It is a long road but it looks like it is going to be a recoverable one. It’s one day at a time from here on in.”
Meanwhile, Cape Breton Regional Police have filed charges in relation to the incident.
Zachary David Mackenzie, 24, has been charged with criminal negligence causing bodily harm and failure to remain at the scene of an accident.
He made a court appearance on Friday and has been remanded until a bail hearing on Monday.