City police say they have wrapped up their investigation of the two senior citizens who were killed while trying to cross Algonquin Avenue in May, and have concluded there is no evidence that would lead them to suspect the accident occurred due to driver error.
Police eliminated speeding, distracted driving, and impaired driving and a result, no charges were laid.
North Bay police were helped by a technical traffic reconstruction investigator from the Ontario Provincial Police.
See: Algonquin accident proves fatal
And: Woman in Algonquin accident dies in hospital
On May 4th, at approximately 2:14 p.m., an SUV travelling on Algonquin Avenue between Greenwood and Elmwood avenues, struck the two pedestrians who were crossing Algonquin. The pedestrians—an 80-year old man and a 74-year old woman, both from Temiscaming, Quebec—were both in serious life-threatening condition at the time of collision.
They both later died of their injuries in hospital.
The roadway where the collision took place is relatively flat and consists of five lanes, two northbound, two southbound and one centre left turn lane for both directions. The SUV was travelling northbound in the left through lane. The elderly couple, who were crossing Algonquin from the east side to a medical clinic on the west side, where there is no crosswalk, walked out in front of the SUV.
A petition to urge council to put a crosswalk at the scene of the accident is now closed, about one thousand signatures short of its goal of 3,000. Organizer Cheryl Foy told BayToday that she is 'disappointed' that nothing has been done since she took her petition to city hall June 27th.
Attempts to reach Councillor Tanya Vrebosch, who is the Chair of Engineering, Public Works, were unsuccessful before posting this story.
See: Algonquin Ave Crosswalk review continues, while petition gains momentum
