Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Dash cam video submitted to CTV News caught the moment of impact at 8 p.m., when a black SUV crashed into a parked red sedan at a high rate of speed. That sedan ended up backwards in the flower shop, and the SUV up against a barrier in front of Winners.
“It could have had tragic consequences,” said North Vancouver RCMP Cpl. Brett Urano. “Fortunately there were no injuries, but it was suspected that alcohol was a factor, and a woman is currently being investigated for alcohol-related offences regarding the crash.”
By Sunday morning, the flower shop, Special Moments Flowers and Gifts, was boarded up. Loyal customers were shocked.
“Seeing the flower shop closed, my first reaction was I hope they are okay and it’s not forever closed. That they are hit by a drunk driver, that’s just really unfortunate to hear that happens,” said customer and North Vancouver resident Sieneke Toering. “I really like going there, the staff is always super friendly and helpful, and they have beautiful offerings. I feel for them. Hopefully they can fix it and re-open.”
The fact the flower shop was heavily damaged just a week before Mother’s Day, one of the biggest days of the year in that industry, isn’t lost on police.
“Hopefully they will be able to still run somehow and deal with Mother’s Day and the upcoming week and taking care of their orders and helping their customers, even with the damage to their shop,” said Urano.
He added this collision is a reminder of what can happen when someone chooses to drink and drive.
“It was still early early in the evening just after dinner, and this could have had totally tragic consequences,” Urano said. “If you’re going to consume alcohol or things like that, you always want to plan for a safe ride home. In this case, someone it’s suspected that they haven’t, and it resulted in a signifiant crash that could have injured many people.”