Dayton Mitchener, 14, was struck by a truck while walking his bicycle in the crosswalk at Main and 85th streets on Aug. 13. His mother fears he may not be able to participate in many of the sports and activities he’s passionate about due to the injuries he sustained from the collission. Photo submitted - Click on picture for larger image

OSOYOOS TIMES-September 1, 2010

By Paul Everest - Osoyoos Times

The mother of a Bridesville teenager who was struck by an alleged drunk driver in an Osoyoos crosswalk on Aug. 13 said her son’s entire life has changed.
Natasha Mitchener said her son Dayton, 14, has a passion for snowboarding, soccer and BMX biking.
But his ability to participate in such sports and activities could change due to injuries he sustained while walking his bicycle along a crosswalk at the intersection of Main and 85th streets.
Police said a 46-year-old Osoyoos man driving a 1997 Chevrolet pickup truck westbound at about 5:40 p.m. struck Dayton.
The driver was arrested for driving while impaired and allegedly had a blood-alcohol content of more than 0.08.
Dayton was first taken to Oliver’s South Okanagan General Hospital before being transferred to Penticton Regional Hospital where he spent three days.
Returning home from the hospital through downtown Osoyoos and passing the scene of the collision was a tough experience for Dayton, Natasha said.
“It was a really trying day emotionally. It was hard on him.”
Along with injuries to his knees, Dayton suffered road rash and has been experiencing nightmares, she said.
Although Dayton was not up to speaking to the Osoyoos Times, Natasha said the experience has been very difficult on him.
The family is waiting to see whether Dayton will need surgery on one of his knees, she said, adding Dayton will have to go in for an MRI scan.
Right now, doctors don’t know the full extent of Dayton’s injuries and he may face further health difficulties in the future since he is still growing, Natasha said.
Dayton is currently on crutches and begins physiotherapy this week.
In the fall, Natasha said, he’ll need a wheelchair to attend school at Osoyoos Secondary School.
Ironically, Dayton had bought a BMX bike the day he was struck to practise for competitive riding, she said, and whether he’ll be able to compete in the future is up in the air.
She added that it was the bike Dayton was walking with on Aug. 13 that may have saved his life since the truck struck the bicycle first.
Natasha said after the collision, while in the emergency room, Dayton was thinking about others above himself.
“He said ‘It’s a good thing he hit me because he could have killed himself or someone else,’” she said.
While she feels people need to wake up to the dangers of drinking and driving and seek out a designated driver when out for a few drinks, Natasha also said more needs to be done to upgrade the crosswalk where Dayton was struck as well as other pedestrian crossings in town.
“That crosswalk should have been marked just as well as the one above it (at Main and 87th streets.)”
Murray Tekano, the B.C. Transportation Ministry’s district manager for Okanagan-Shuswap, said ministry staff are currently examining Osoyoos’s crosswalks to look at traffic volume, how many pedestrians are using the crossings and any safety issues.
Last summer, larger flashing indicator lights were installed at the crosswalk at the intersection of Main and 87th streets.
But whether other crosswalks will receive such upgrades will depend on several considerations, Tekano said.
Staff will have to determine if larger overhead signs and lights would be distracting to drivers.
They will also consider whether a crosswalk’s location is appropriate, or if the crosswalk should be moved to another area.
In January, 2008, a 19-year-old Osoyoos man received head injuries after being struck by a car while walking along a crosswalk at the intersection of Hwy. 97 and 62nd Avenue.
Tekano said improvements were made at that crosswalk following that collision including improved signage and the clearing of brush at the side of the road to allow for better visibility.
Traffic engineers who studied that intersection following the collision said one of the big problems at that crossing is that drivers do not look around them enough when turning left and right onto Hwy. 97.
Coun. Michael Ryan has suggested that signs could be placed in the middle of the road on each side of intersections where there is a crosswalk.
Such signs, he said, would give a more visible reminder to drivers to stop for pedestrians.
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