VANCOUVER -- An articulated TransLink bus hit and killed a woman outside the busy Main Street SkyTrain Station on the outskirts of downtown Vancouver early Wednesday evening.

Just before 5 p.m. a woman was struck by the northbound bus on the northeast corner of the Main Street and Terminal Avenue intersection, according to witnesses.

“No one screamed, there was no crash sound,” said Carmen Bright, who was less than a block away at a nearby farmer’s market when the woman was hit. “No one knew until you walked past.”

A blue tarp covered the woman’s body as authorities shooed horrified bystanders away Bright said. The woman has not been identified, but police news release confirmed she was the 12 person to be killed in a traffic accident in Vancouver this year.

The circumstances behind the accident are unknown, but eyewitness Shinya Mikawa said the bus apparently ran a red light. Bright said several other eyewitnesses she talked to at the scene said the same thing.

“All I can confirm on my end is there has been an incident be involving a bus and a pedestrian at Main Street terminal,” said TransLink spokesman Drew Snider.

Meanwhile TransLink has tweeted that their northbound #3, #8 and #19 buses have been detoured via Broadway to Cambie. Southbound buses are still travelling down Main Street.

City of Vancouver spokeswoman Wendy Stewart said the traffic cameras at the intersection that face all four directions are not programmed to take video. However, most articulated TransLink buses come equipped with multiple cameras, including one at the front that may capture footage of an accident like this.

Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed the collision to call them at 604-717-3012.

mhager@postmedia.com

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