A woman who is presumed to die after struck by an SUV was given CPR. The incident occurred in Central Saanich. The woman died of heart trouble before the crash.
Tragedy on the road
Suzanne Cameron Gillespie, 47-year old of Central Saanich was declared dead after hit by an SUV while lying on the road in the 2300 block of Mount Newton Cross Road.
The woman was already dead before she was hit according to coroner spokeswoman Barb McLintock. Based on post-mortem testing, it showed unequivocally that she suffered a sudden cardiac event from a severe heart disease prior to the vehicular incident. It was suspected that she was dead less than an hour before being hit.
It was a bizarre twist to what was initially assumed as a pedestrian struck while walking on a road.
The woman was hit shortly by an eastbound vehicle. The driver, an elderly man remained on the scene and was cooperative. Gillespie had visited a nearby resident. She had made her way to the road when the cardiac event occurred.
The first responders performed at least half an hour of CPR. She was transported to a healthcare facility where she was declared dead.
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LEARN MORE
Learn how to help by enrolling in a first aid class and for more information, check out these sources:
https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/bleeding-cuts-wounds
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardiopulmonary_resuscitation
https://www.healthline.com/health/first-aid/cpr
About The Author
Mark Kascha
Certified First Aid Instructor Trainer with 30+ years of real-world experience, including lifeguarding, workplace emergency response, and first aid program development across Canada. Has worked with WorkSafeBC, WSIB, and Manitoba Health.
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Last reviewed: March 2026
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