Hamilton man struck by driver remains in critical condition

Police say a Hamilton man who was struck by a motorist in the east end during the heavy rains on Wednesday night is in critical condition.

The collision happened shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 4 when the 55-year-old man, who was crossing Barton St. E. from short distance from west of Sherman Ave. N., was struck by the passing motorist. Unconfirmed reports said the impact threw the man nearly five metres. He was taken to a hospital and his family members have been notified.

The collision happened while Hamilton was having its wettest Jan. 4 in more than a decade, as 16.6 mm of rain fell on the city. The fog advisory that was in place ended around 4:05 p.m., but the crash happened after nightfall, meaning that visibility for drivers was compromised.

The 52-year-old woman who was driving the car “remained on scene and is cooperative with police investigators,” Hamilton Police (HPS) said on Thursday (Jan. 5).

The collision comes just days after the end of a lethal calendar year on Hamilton roadways. The city had 23 traffic deaths in 2022, nearly doubling the previous year’s tally, which itself was a 10-year high. Many of the victims were pedestrians. The official numbers will be included in the city’s collision report, which is typically released midyear.

The severity of the man’s injuries required the HPS Collision Reconstruction Unit to take over the investigation. A span of Barton St. E. between Sherman and Kinrade Ave. was closed for the investigation until 12:09 a.m. early Thursday, more than 6½ hours after the man was hit.

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Further details about the collision were not shared, but HPS are asking for the public’s help with the investigation. In the past, dashcam footage from vehicles in the area, or surveillance footage from homes and businesses, has proven helpful to investigators tasked with protecting public safety. Anyone who has any information that could assist with this investigation may contact the HPS Collision Reconstruction Unit (905-546-4753).

Information may be anonymously shared via Crime Stoppers (1-800-222-8477; online at crimestoppershamilton.com).

The amount of rain that fell on Wednesday was the most Hamilton had seen on Jan. 4 in the last dozen years. The all-time rain record for the date is 38.8 mm back in 1993.

All weather information in this report is sourced from Environment and Climate Change Canada.