Road death needs investigation

Another Iqaluit resident has been killed in an accident involving a City of Iqaluit vehicle, the third in less than three years.

This time, it happened in broad daylight, in good weather, by the side of a quiet road that does not usually attract a large volume of traffic. The victim, a 39-year-old woman, was crushed to death under the wheels of a huge front-end loader, somewhere within a narrow shoulder between the road and the creek that runs past the public health building.

Mercifully, an 11-month baby who was with her survived, suffering only a broken leg, while the victim’s daughter, who was also present, suffered no physical injuries.

It’s not clear why the front-end loader was even in the area, since there are no obvious public works projects going on there. And it’s not clear what the driver was doing, exactly, when he put his vehicle into reverse moments before running over the woman.

Of greater importance is this question: Why have three Iqaluit residents died this way in less than three years?

The only way to answer it is by means of a thorough investigation of the city’s public works department, an investigation that ought to run deep and wide.

Such an investigation must examine the hiring, training and supervision of city drivers, their credentials and qualifications, their work and performance records, the mechanical fitness of city vehicles, safety protocols used within the department, and any guidelines that may or may not govern the use of heavy equipment in public areas.

Iqaluit city councillors and city administrators must put public safety above all other considerations, including “morale” issues within the public works department. In getting at the truth, they must be prepared to be ruthless, if necessary.

This week’s tragic death may end up in a criminal case, or it may end up generating a coroner’s inquest. Either process will also be useful in uncovering the truth.

Iqaluit residents must be assured that they aren’t taking their lives in their hands every time they try to walk from one place to another. Unfortunately, that assurance does not exist right now. JB