Grade 10 student suffers traumatic brain injury in crosswalk collision

A Grade 10 student who was struck by a vehicle as she rode her e-scooter to school Monday morning is now in hospital recovering from a traumatic brain injury and unable to speak, leaving her family looking for answers.

Audrey Cameron, 15, and her older brother were riding their e-scooters to Nepean High School around 8:30 a.m. when she was struck at a crosswalk near the intersection of Carling Avenue and Saigon Court. 

Ottawa police are now seeking witnesses and are hopeful someone will come forward with dashcam footage of the incident.

According to the family, the vehicle was travelling eastbound down Carling Avenue when Cameron, who was wearing a helmet, was struck. Her brother was behind her and avoided the collision.

An MRI on Wednesday revealed she suffered a traumatic brain injury, said her uncle, Ian Cameron. The impact of the crash also fractured her left pelvic bone and her knee, he said.

"She has survived, but we're looking down a road of considerable recovery and rehabilitation therapy," said Cameron, a local veterinarian.

So far, his niece isn't speaking but responds by blinking or nodding, Cameron said. 

"She did have a smile when my seven-year-old son gave her a card that had lots of happy faces and things on it," he said.

"That was the best news we've had so far about her recovery, but I think this is a long road that she's going to be on for months to years."

Looking for answers

The collision has raised fresh questions about the safety of the intersection where it happened.

"I've heard numerous people tell me they feel it's a very dangerous intersection for pedestrians," Cameron said.

But Coun. Jeff Leiper, whose ward is next to the intersection, said it's not one he's heard many concerns about.

"Residents haven't written to me about that one," he said. "This isn't an intersection that's brought to me with any kind of regularity."

Cameron said the family is still trying to piece together what happened.

"We're even trying to find if there were buses nearby," he said. "They have 360-degree camera viewing and maybe they've caught something, or nearby buildings and businesses if they have surveillance cameras that may have caught what had happened."

Cameron described his niece as a cautious and intelligent high schooler who loves art and music. 

"She's gentle and kind and she loves animals. She comes to my office here at my clinic to see animals and to give me a hug," he said.

According to the family, the driver of the vehicle remained at the scene after the collision. Ottawa police declined to provide CBC with additional information about their investigation.

The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board also declined a request for comment from CBC, stating it doesn't have the family's permission to speak about the incident.