UPDATE: Merritt city councillor killed in hit and run
A Merritt city councillor was killed after she was struck by a vehicle outside Valemount.
Claire Newman was travelling to see family yesterday, July 4, when she was struck by a vehicle, according to a July 5 City of Merritt news release.
“To lose a light like Claire Newman in such a tragic way has left a giant hole in my heart and the heart of everyone who came into contact with her,” Mayor Michael Goetz said in the release.
Newman, 46, was found in a ditch on Highway 16 near Lucerne Lake sometime on July 5, according to RCMP.
Officers fro Valemount responded to an automatic cell phone crash notification and found a Nissan Frontier running with a dog inside, but there were no other vehicles in the area, according to a news release.
Police say they found the headlight of a 2016 to 2018 Jeep Cherokee nearby, suggesting that was the vehicle that hit her while she was outside the truck.
"We encourage the driver to contact the police," the news release reads.
RCMP North District media relations officer Cpl. Madonna Saunderson refused to confirm whether it was a hit and run investigation.
Investigators are looking to speak with people who were in the area between 11 p.m., July 4, to shortly after midnight, July 5.
Newman was newly elected to council in October.
“Claire was the cheerleader of this Council and a driving force that you rarely come across. Getting to know Claire over the past six months has been a great pleasure and I am a better person for having known her. To her family and friends, I offer my deepest sympathies. Claire you will be missed," Goetz said.
The City will lower its flags in mourning and will cancel its regular council meeting on July 11 to honour her.
“I have loved working with Claire,” Merritt chief administrative officer Sean Smith said. “She was vibrant, curious, and had a passion for people that was contagious. Saying goodbye to friends is hard. I will miss her. And on behalf of all City staff, our sincere condolences go out to her family.”
If you have any information about the hit and run, you're asked to contact Valemount RCMP at 250-566-4466.
— This story was updated with information from RCMP at 4:19 p.m., July 5, 2023.
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