Police are using surveillance video to try to identify a tractor-trailer after a deadly crash killed a woman in downtown Ottawa Friday.

Police say the victim had been crossing Waller at the intersection of Rideau St., shortly after 6 a.m. She was well-dressed, seemingly on her way to work -- wearing a jacket to keep the rain off, and a large upright hood.

Investigators are looking for the driver of a B-style transport truck -- that's one pulling two trailers.

It is unclear if the driver was aware someone was hit.

Witnesses watched as cops reached into the 26-year-old's large, blue purse and fished out her identification. The purse sat upright in the roadway for hours, alongside the body which lay in the Waller St. crosswalk, covered with a yellow tarp.

Two witnesses spoke to investigators -- one who only saw the aftermath and another who claims to have seen the horrific sight as the woman's body came out from behind the back wheels of the truck.

The tragedy does not surprise some area residents, who have long been fighting to divert truck traffic from the city core.

"The City of Ottawa basically created the perfect storm of pedestrian deaths," said Nathan Davis, co-chair of the King Edward Avenue Task Force. "They're saying commuter convenience comes ahead of pedestrian safety."

Concerned residents want to see some type of traffic-calming measures put in place, which could include concrete barriers or raised crosswalks. But ultimately, they want truck traffic out of the area, especially along the cramped corridor which includes Waller and Rideau.

An estimated 3,500 trucks pass through downtown Ottawa each day, according to Davis, and that number is projected to rise to 5,000 by 2015. With new condo construction planned within blocks of the crash, in an already pedestrian-heavy area, it's a recipe for disaster, Davis said.

Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury has also long wanted trucks out of the area. A feasibility study of a truck-only tunnel will be done this year, looking at one idea to re-route big rigs away from pedestrians.

"We want this done sooner rather than later," said Fleury, adding other options are also being looked at. "We need to solve this. We recognize trucks aren't adequate (downtown).

danielle.bell@sunmedia.ca

Twitter: @ottawasundbell



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