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Family trying to help mother hit by truck at Maple Ridge mall

‘She can barely walk right now and is unable to fully care for her family.’
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The Ridge Meadows RCMP traffic unit is investigating after a truck collided with vehicles, traffic barricades, and a covered bus stop at the corner of Dewdney Trunk Road and 240th Street on Feb. 1.

The family of a woman who pushed her young son out of the path of a rampaging truck at a Maple Ridge mall a week ago is now trying to raise money to help her with expenses.

On Feb. 1, the driver of a black pickup left a parking stall, backed into a parked vehicle, then drove forward into a restaurant drive-through lane at 240th Street and Dewdney Trunk Road in Maple Ridge. The truck then collided with barricades, jumped the curbed drive-through lane and came to a stop against an unoccupied bus stop, police said.

A mother and her six-year-old son were in the truck’s path. She pushed her son out of the way, but was hit and pushed against a fence at the McDonalds drive through.

The mother sustained an injured leg. The boy had a bump on his head.

Julie Belanger said her sister, Kelly Sandoval, and her two youngest sons had been dropped off by her husband Eddie so they could catch a bus.

On their way over to the bus stop, the truck came towards Kelly and her two sons, Julie wrote on a gofundme page.

“One of her sons was able to get out of the way. Thankfully, Kelly’s motherly instincts allowed her to react in time to throw her youngest son out of the way. Unfortunately in doing so, Kelly was unable to get herself to safety and she was struck by the truck. She sacrificed herself to ensure the safety of her child. in doing so she suffered some cuts on her head that required stitches, major bruising all over both her legs and her left arm and a major hematoma on her leg. The hematoma is causing her a lot of pain and requiring her to go to the hospital every day for IV antibiotics. Her younger son suffered a bump on his head.”

Julie said Kelly does a lot for her family, helping the school PAC, walking her kids to school, taking them to soccer, football and basketball practices.

“She can barely walk right now and is unable to fully care for her family. Her husband has been at her side helping with her care, taking her to the hospital every day for IV antibiotics, taking care of the kids and all of the housework. Kelly also helps him at work from time to time and is unable to do so now.”

Julie is now trying to raise $5,000 to help them, “so they can pay their expenses during these hard times.”

A 34-year-old Mission man was arrested at the scene for investigation of impaired driving, hit and run and dangerous driving causing bodily harm, according to Ridge Meadows RCMP.

He was released on a promise to appear in court.