A 19-year-old pedestrian who sustained life-threatening injuries in a Burnaby hit-and-run Friday may have been part of a confrontation between people in three different vehicles before the crash, according to police.
Emergency crews were called to Macpherson Avenue and Marine Drive at about 12:20 a.m. for a report of a pedestrian-involved collision, according to Burnaby RCMP.
At the scene, they found a 19-year-old male who had been hit by a car.
He was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries, according to police.
“At this point, we believe there was a confrontation between three vehicles,” media spokesperson Cpl. Brett Cunningham told the NOW. “At one point, pepper spray was deployed. Shortly thereafter, our 19-year-old victim exited one of these vehicles, at which point he was struck by the suspect vehicle.”
That vehicle immediately fled the scene, according to police.
Cunningham said investigators believe the confrontation between the three vehicles had begun elsewhere and ended near Macpherson Avenue and Marine Drive.
He said police recovered a golf club at the scene.
“We’re still trying to determine exactly how that played into this whole confrontation,” he said.
Cunningham said there was no information at this time to suggest the incident was gang related.
The suspect vehicle is described as a light coloured sedan with possible front-end damage.
There were three occupants in the vehicle at the time of the crash, including two believed to be of Asian descent, according to Cunningham.
“We’re looking for people to come forward and provide us with information to help us piece this together,” Cunningham said.
Contact Burnaby RCMP at 604-646-9999.
To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
Follow Cornelia Naylor on Twitter @CorNaylor
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