A 15-year-old girl in Beaver Creek, north of Port Alberni, was injured in a hit-and-run that saw the suspect driver quickly turn around and speed away.
The entire incident was captured on security camera.
Danika Currie had just gotten off the school bus around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, when she went to cross the road only to be hit by a driver who immediately fled.
“She stopped at the mailbox to grab the mail and walked down Smith Road toward Beaver Creek Road,” said Sean Currie, Danika’s father, recalling the incident that happened directly across the street from their family home in the 6700 block.
“The vehicle (driver) pulled through the intersection. She (Danika) turned and made eye contact with the vehicle,” he recalled.
The video shows the driver attempting to turn right onto Beaver Creek Road from Smith Road, not too far from the mailbox, according to Sean.
“There was, what she says, a nod from the vehicle (driver) to her to continue to cross the road. She started to go and the vehicle accelerated and hit her. She then looked at the vehicle, watched it back up and take off down Beaver Creek Road.”
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@chek.news A 15-year-old girl in Beaver Creek, north of Port Alberni, was injured in a hit-and-run that saw the suspect driver quickly turn around and speed away. The entire incident was captured on security camera. Danika Currie had just gotten off the school bus around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 21, when she went to cross the road only to be hit by a driver who immediately fled. #PortAlberni #BeaverCreek #hitandrun #VancouverIsland #caughtoncamera #video #videosurveillance #BCNews #BC #CHEKNews
Sean later posted the video to Facebook in hopes someone with information would come forward, and he says the community’s support is much appreciated.
He says the SUV appeared to be a newer model Hyundai.
“There’s a lot of information that’s come from it. There are a lot more videos and pictures of the vehicle in the neighbourhood that have appeared, so I believe the police are getting close to who it is,” Sean said Monday.
“There’s hope on the horizon that this will be over and done with soon.”
‘She’s resilient’
Sean remembers the initial call from Danika.
He tells CHEK News a neighbour, who was in the vehicle behind the SUV, got out of their vehicle and helped her cross the road following the hit-and-run. Then, Danika called her dad to let him know what had happened.
“I made my way home to get home to her. She was a little bit upset, and I checked to make sure she was OK first and headed home. She seemed OK,” said Sean.
“She didn’t exhibit anything that was super concerning at the time. First responders got here, and we got her to the hospital to make sure everything was OK.”
He says Danika was left “a little bit bumped and bruised,” adding that “she’s got some marks on her. But all in all, she’s resilient.”
Just days after suffering injuries, Danika “persevered through” and managed to pull off a few wins at the B.C. provincials for wrestling, according to Sean.
“That was the first thing she did at the hospital was negotiate with the doctor so that she could go to the championships,” the dad laughed.
“I couldn’t be more proud of her.”
‘Just come forward’
This hit-and-run was just days before a fatal incident in Cedar, south of Nanaimo, where a 90-year-old woman was struck by a vehicle and killed Saturday night.
Sean says he’s thinking of this woman’s family, adding that hit-and-run suspects only make things worse for themselves when fleeing the scene.
“If you make a mistake, why compound it and make it worse,” he added.
“There are loved ones sitting there wondering why. Just come forward, make it easier on you and make it easier on the family, and just put an end to it and let people start to heal. It’s not worth running.”
Sean says the incident involving Danika was reported to police.
He’s asking anyone with information to contact RCMP quoting file #24-1591. CHEK News has reached out to Port Alberni RCMP for more information.
“I’m really impressed with how people have come together to try and bring this person to justice,” said Sean. “It’s nice in a time where things maybe aren’t as nice as they could be.”
In B.C., failing to remain at the scene of a crash comes with a ticket of $368.
READ MORE: Woman, 90, dead after hit-and-run in Cedar; driver, vehicle sought: RCMP
Ethan Morneau
