Driver charged after fatal collision with pedestrian using Whitehorse crosswalk
A woman has been charged in Whitehorse in connection with a collision last fall that killed a pedestrian who was using a downtown crosswalk.
In a news release Tuesday, RCMP say the 39-year-old woman has been charged with failing to yield to a pedestrian at a crosswalk. The woman, who was not identified in the release, is scheduled to appear in court on July 14.
The collision happened just before noon on Nov. 21 at the intersection of Second Avenue and Elliott Street. Merle Gorgichuk, 48, was using a signed crosswalk to cross Second Avenue when he was hit by a pickup truck.
Gorgichuk was taken to hospital by ambulance, and died of his injuries soon after.
The woman charged was driving the vehicle and was not hurt in the collision. A passenger in the pickup truck was also uninjured.
Gorgichuk's death spurred calls for change to make the busy roadway safer, including from some city councillors.
A 59-page "corridor study" commissioned by the city last winter contains dozens of possible options for reconfiguring the roadway, including new medians, more traffic lights, and, potentially, transit lanes.
