Crash victim Whitney Horne in ‘wrong place at the wrong time’
Whitney Horne was standing on the sidewalk, where she should have been safe, waiting to cross the road at James and Cannon streets, when out of nowhere she was hit by a pickup truck.
The 34-year-old's injuries are catastrophic and her future is uncertain.
She was in the wrong place at the wrong time," said longtime friend Chantelle Camarro, who has organized a GoFundMe account to help the family with expenses.
It wasn't like she was crossing the road," she said. She was standing literally where she was supposed to be."
Hamilton police say the crash happened shortly before 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 9. It began when a westbound Hyundai SUV and a southbound GMC Sierra collided in the intersection.
The impact sent the GMC onto the sidewalk, where it struck Horne, and then continued until it hit a third vehicle, a Volkswagen Touareg, just south of the intersection.
Horne works at H. Williams Jewellery. Normally she works at the location on the Mountain, but by chance that day she was working at the James Street North location, Camarro said.
Horne is the type of friend who drops everything to help her loved ones. Now friends are rallying to do anything they can to support the family, including her husband, Adam Horne, and their six-year-old daughter.
The 34-year-old mom remains in the intensive care unit. She's hooked up to a breathing tube and is in and out of sedation.
The impact of the collision was horrific. It crushed her pelvis and ribs. She has spinal fractures. Her spleen was bleeding.
That first day she needed 10 units of blood, Camarro said. She's undergone two surgeries and a third - on her spine - was scheduled for Friday.
So far, Horne has not had movement on her left side. The spinal surgery is crucial to know whether she will regain mobility.
We don't really know what to do," Camarro said, adding that once they have a better understanding of her recovery, they'll have more ideas on how to help the family.
For now, they're just supporting Adam - money from the GoFundMe account is allowing him to take time off work to be by his wife's side.
Because of COVID-19, only two visitors are allowed to visit Horne for an hour each a day. Each day Adam and Whitney's sister have been there.
Sometimes she squeezes her husband's hand when he talks.
For friends, who have started group chats to share updates, it is surreal.
Camarro said it feels like a bad dream she's going to wake up from. But for Adam, he's facing the reality of seeing his wife in hospital.
Horne is originally from Hamilton and went to Delta high school. She and her family had been living in east Hamilton until a few years ago when they moved out to their dream property in Smithville.
At their hobby farm, they grow vegetables and raise chickens. Whitney's dream was to eventually open a roadside vegetable and flower stand, Camarro said. Horne loves to cook, using fresh vegetables from her own garden.
Now so much is uncertain, even whether the farm house will be a suitable home going forward, depending on her prognosis.
Camarro said Horne is all about her daughter.
Fortunately, the family was organized and already had everything set for Christmas for the six-year-old.
Their whole lives are up in the air right now," Camarro said.
The crash remains under investigation by the Hamilton police collision reconstruction unit.
Detectives say driver impairment was not a factor, but they continue to assess all other possible contributing factors, including which vehicle had the right of way.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 905-546-4753 or 905-546-4755.
To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or crimestoppershamilton.com.
Nicole O'Reilly is a Hamilton-based reporter covering crime and justice for The Spectator. Reach her via email: noreilly@thespec.com