11-year-old Saanich girl hit by SUV before Christmas remains in coma
Police install speed reader at intersection residents have often complained about
An 11-year-old girl struck by a vehicle in front of her Vancouver Island home just before Christmas remains in critical condition and her family is “looking for a miracle.”
Leila Bui was struck by an eastbound SUV at the intersection of Ash Road and Torquay Drive in Saanich on the morning of Dec. 20. She was crossing in the crosswalk to get a ride to Arbutus Middle School with a fellow student.
Leila remains in a medically induced coma, grandfather Andy Bui said this week.
“Now we’re looking for a miracle,” he said.
Leila’s parents have been practically living at Victoria General Hospital, where they spent Christmas and New Year’s Day.
“They’re in the hospital 24 hours, all day and night,” said Bui, who goes to see Leila daily.
Leila’s three siblings, 13-year-old Quynh-Lan, eight-year-old Myla and five-year-old Jace, are staying with their aunt, Bui said.
The family has not received an update from Saanich police about their crash investigation.
Bui did notice a speed reader was installed in front of the Ash Road home Monday.
Unlike speed readers that display vehicle speeds to encourage drivers to slow down, the “covert” reader is meant to gather data on the average vehicle speed and traffic volume, said Acting Sgt. Jereme Leslie of Saanich police.
“This allows our police traffic safety unit the ability to determine if there’s a serious speeding issue in the area,” he said.
Installation of the speed reader was planned before Leila was struck by a car, Leslie said.
Saanich’s administrative traffic committee is reviewing the intersection in response to concerns from the Gordon Head Residents Association.
Residents have long complained about speeding on Ash Road and several have asked Saanich council and the district’s engineering department for traffic-calming measures such as a roundabout, a four-way stop or pedestrian crossing lights at the intersection.
Residents and members of the Gordon Head Residents Association held a meeting Tuesday to discuss ways to keep safety improvements top of mind for Saanich staff and council.
Ash Road resident Lesley Machan said Saanich police have used speed-tracking measures before.
“Those who live on the road know of the speeding issue. Planting a police car there or one of those units does little to nothing,” she said. “I call it lip service.”
Machan said cars continue to travel the hilly road at well above the 50 km/h speed limit.
“It doesn’t matter how many people get knocked down, people still speed up and down that road. Unless they put some calming measures out there, it will continue.”