A Nuu-Chah-Nulth woman living in Campbell River, B.C., is recovering from serious injuries after she was run over by a vehicle while sleeping in a tent in a back alley.
RCMP say Darlene Smith, 53, was struck at around 12:30 a.m. on Nov. 10 in an area known as a gathering place for unhoused people. Police say the driver was apprehended at the scene, and officers have not ruled out intoxicants. Charges have not been laid, and the investigation is ongoing.
Smith’s sister, Samantha Billy, has been by her side at Vancouver General Hospital since it happened. She says her sister’s health has been extremely variable.
“It’s really hard,” Billy said. “It’s a roller coaster. Every day, I don’t know what I’m going to walk into.”
‘Broken all over’
Billy says her sister sustained fractures to her spine, ribs and chest. Until this week, she was intubated to assist her breathing. She has stitches all along her head and back.
“It’s so hard to see her this broken all over. She can’t move. She doesn’t know where she is,” Billy said through tears.
“My sister’s always been the strong one. She’s always been strong for us.”
Billy says her sister had been living in Campbell River for a few years, moving around different areas. She had been living in the tent with her son and daughter-in-law, who had stepped out just 15 minutes before the crash.
Other people were also injured by the driver, Billy says, but RCMP spokesperson Const. Maury Tyre said he wasn’t able to confirm that detail. It’s not clear if the other injuries were reported to police.
Fundraiser organized
The incident has many in Campbell River’s homeless community on edge, worried it was a targeted attack because the location is a well-known place for them to gather.
Tyre says there have been rumours spread through social media, but so far the investigation doesn’t indicate that this was a targeted attack.
The alleyway where Smith had been sleeping is narrow, Tyre says, and vehicles do require access through it, so people are encouraged to leave because it’s not considered to be safe.
A fundraiser has been organized for Smith at Match Eatery in Campbell River this Sunday to support Billy as she stays in Vancouver to be with her sister. Billy lives with her daughter in Kyuquot, a small village on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
Community volunteer Odette Hobbis says she heard about what happened to Smith through a youth outreach group she has been working with.
“I just wanted to contribute to the community in a positive way,” Hobbis said. “I wanted to continue the income stream for [the family].”