Jonah Pevach, 8, was airlifted to Vancouver Children's Hospital yesterday after he was run over by a van in West Kelowna.
Image Credit: Contributed
June 23, 2015 - 11:14 AM
WEST KELOWNA – An eight-year-old boy with Down syndrome from West Kelowna is in critical condition in Vancouver Children’s Hospital today after a commercial van ran over his chest in his neighbourhood yesterday, June 22.
Jonah Pevach's mother Candice Loring says the accident happened around 4:30 p.m. and they were airlifted to Vancouver yesterday evening. Jonah is currently in intensive care.
“He was ran over by a van across his chest,” Candice says. “His lungs have collapsed and most of his ribs are broken.”
Loring says the extent of his injuries are not yet known but he is being examined by doctors. Her neighbour Alexandria Holtz says the accident happened at the Okanagan Metis and Aboriginal Housing Society on Ingram Road. The housing society is a low-income housing complex for aboriginal people with children.
Jonah’s father Steve was outside watching him play when the accident happened.
“The guy came flying around the corner and Steve didn’t even have time to get up,” Holtz says. “The van hit (Jonah) dead on and dragged him.”
RCMP Cpl. Joe Duncan confirmed the accident happened around 4:30 p.m., June 22.
"The vehicle stopped and the 55-year-old male driver remained on scene," he says. "The eight-year-old has substantial injuries and is in critical condition."
The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help raise money to pay for their trip and time away from work.
According to Holtz, Candice works part time as a mentor in the Aboriginal Room at Okanagan UBC campus and volunteers as the president of the Indigenous Students Association. Steve is a stay-at-home dad.
Jonah, Steve and Caleb Loring of West Kelowna.
Image Credit: Contributed
To contact the 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.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015