Woman dies after being hit by snowplow in Truro parking lot

A woman has died after being struck by a snow plow in Truro, N.S.

Police in Truro, N.S., say a pedestrian has died after she was hit by a snowplow Monday morning.

Truro Police Service, fire and ambulance crews responded to the scene in a Queen Street parking lot around 6:30 a.m.

The victim was taken to Colchester East Hants Health Centre by EHS. Police say the 54-year-old woman, who has been identified as Tina Clyke by her family, later died of her injuries.

“Our investigation is ongoing into this tragedy, and we can confirm that the involved snowplow was a private contractor, plowing snow in the parking lot of a car dealership, and the female was struck while walking across this parking lot,” reads a post on Truro Police Service’s Facebook page.

Clyke was walking to work

Truro police chief Dave MacNeil says the woman was not an employee of the car dealership and she was struck while the snowplow was backing up.

The operator was driving a three-quarter-ton truck, which was equipped with a plow.

“It appears that person was on their way to work at another location and was cutting through the parking lot probably to save time and was tragically stuck by the snowplow,” he says.

MacNeil says it was snowing in the town Monday morning with “substantial winds.”

“Visibility was definitely an issue at the time of the collision,” he says.

Investigators have obtained security camera footage from the dealership, along with surrounding businesses, and have spoken to witnesses.

Police have also towed the truck for a mechanical fitness test.

“At this point in time it doesn’t appear to be criminal in nature, it just appears to be a tragic accident,” MacNeil says.

‘She was a rock’

Gordie Clyke told CTV News Atlantic the victim was his sister Tina.

“Tina was so much to so many,” Clyke said. “She never missed a niece or nephew’s hockey game, basketball game, volleyball game, birthday. She was there for everything, for everybody in the family.

“She was a rock.”

Clyke said his family is shocked by his sister’s death.

“Right now, it’s still really hard to comprehend because it happened very unexpectedly,” he said. “Tina was the most positive person you could ever come across in your life. Soon as you met her, you’d want to meet her again

“You want to be around her, you want to see her, you want to talk to her.”

A GoFundMe for the Clyke family had raised more than $38,000 by 9 a.m. Tuesday.

Both the Truro Police Service and Mayor Cathy Hinton say their thoughts are with everyone involved in the incident.

“This is how fast things can happen. It’s a great tragedy for our community, to lose a citizen,” Hinton says.

“People are having a hard enough time this winter with weather and struggling and we’re always promoting safety, but this accident certainly was not the kind of news you wanted to wake up to this morning.”

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Callum Smith

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