Elderly pedestrian hit by SUV on New Year’s Eve dies in Kelowna hospital

KELOWNA – An elderly man who was hit by an SUV while crossing a busy road in Kelowna on New Year’s Eve died in hospital overnight.

The 78-year-old pedestrian, who was hit crossing Springfield Road near the Chances casino Dec. 31, 2015, died at as a result of his injuries at Kelowna General Hospital last night, Jan. 3, according to RCMP.

The man was wearing dark clothing and 'did not appear' to be in a marked crosswalk, Const. Jesse O'Donaghey says in a media release.

“The driver, a 21-year-old Lake Country man, remained at the scene and is co-operating with police,” O’Donaghey says in the release. “Police have ruled out alcohol as a contributing factor and strongly believe that speed was also not a factor.”

Officers from the Kelowna RCMP Traffic Section continue to investigate along with the B.C Coroners Service.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Adam Proskiw at aproskiw@infonews.ca or call 250-718-0428. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.