A pedestrian-involved hit-and-run in Burnaby this week has devastated the family and clients of a beloved local care aide.
Police were called to Canada Way and Burris Street at about 6:45 a.m. Wednesday for a collision involving a pedestrian and a vehicle, according to the Burnaby RCMP.
Initial reports indicated the pedestrian had been crossing the street when a vehicle turning left onto Canada Way eastbound failed to yield and hit the woman, the detachment said.
The driver did not stay at the scene, police said.
Burnaby RCMP did not identify the woman, but the family of one of her clients has identified her as 64-year-old care aide Maria Espedido.
"She's honestly one of the most beautiful humans I've ever met," Larisa Grace told the Burnaby NOW. "For someone just to hit her and leave her is shocking."
Grace's mother has dementia, and Espedido has been caring for her for two years.
Grace, who is in contact with Espedido's son Christian, said Espedido is in intensive care with a badly broken right arm, broken ribs, punctured lung, bruised and cut liver and internal bleeding.
"It's devastating," Grace said.
The crash has put a "dream trip" Espedidio had planned to the Philippines in February into question, according to Grace, and the time she will have to take off work because of her injuries will be "financially devastating."
Grace and her sister Rachelle Grace launched a GoFundMe campaign Thursday to help out.
And then there are Espedido's vulnerable elderly clients, including Grace's mother.
"We can't even scramble just to find somebody to replace her because she builds such a rapport with her clients," Grace said. "It's devastating to so many people."
Burnaby RCMP are still searching for the vehicle and driver involved, and police are asking anyone with information or dashcam footage to call Burnaby RCMP at 604-646-9999.
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