UPDATE: 10:20 a.m.

Police in Summerland are considering criminal charges against a man who is believed to have run over a friend at a New Year’s Eve party while allegedly intoxicated.

Const. James Grandy says emergency crews responded to the residence on Giants Head Road after 2 a.m., for a woman suffering injuries from being run over by a truck.

“Initial investigation revealed the female resident had attempted to stop the man from driving away intoxicated, and as a result, she was struck by his vehicle,” said Grandy. “The driver had been attending a get together at the same residence as the victim.”

Party-goers went outside after the woman tried to stop their friend from driving, and her husband found his wife lying face down, covered in blood. 

“It was very traumatic,” he said. “She really thought she was going to die, she was a total mess.”

The West Kelowna woman, who has a newborn, is in hospital with 10 broken ribs, two fractured vertebrae and is now deaf in one ear. She is also suffering from PTSD and having trouble sleeping.

“She remembers being run over very vividly, and she can’t forget it,” said her husband.

Grandy said the incident is being investigated with charges of dangerous driving being considered against the 34-year-old man.

The woman remains recovering in hospital and is taking it one day at a time. The husband says they are thankful for their support system and lucky that she can still breastfeed their five-month-old baby. 

ORIGINAL: 5 a.m.

A West Kelowna mother was run over by an alleged drunk driver on New Year's morning by a man who was attending the same party. 

A small group of friends got together to ring in the New Year at a friend's house in Summerland when things took a tragic turn and left the mother in hospital with serious injuries. 

The woman and her partner asked to remain anonymous, but agreed to speak to Castanet about the traumatic night. 

“My wife and I were planning on staying the night and (she) noticed one of her friends, who had been drinking, was saying he was going to leave,” the husband said. “She went out to prevent him from leaving because he was too drunk to drive.”

About 15 minutes passed, and he realized his wife had not come back inside, so he went to look for her.

“I came across (her) lying face down on the driveway,” he said.

She was covered in blood and told him she thought she was going to die and that he needs to take care of their five-month-old daughter.

“It was very traumatic,” he said. “She really thought she was going to die, she was a total mess.”

As they waited for an ambulance, she told him what happened. 

“He ran her over with his truck,” the husband said. “She remembers being run over very vividly, and she can’t forget it."

Once they arrived at the hospital, they learned she had 10 broken ribs, two fractured vertebrae and is now deaf in one ear. 

“That is obviously incredibly painful, but it could have been worse, and she could have easily been dead,” said the husband. “I feel incredibly blessed.”

He said the group of friends has known the man for 15 years, and when he came back to the house and saw what he had done, he was very upset.
 
“Everyone there witnessed him drinking. We were at a party, it was New Year’s, there were shots. He was too intoxicated to drive,” the husband said. 

Police are in contact with the family and spoke to people at the scene Jan. 1. But, the family’s focus is on getting healthy.  

“Doctors have said they think her injuries will heal, but it is too early to tell what the long-term damages will be. She has severe PTSD and is having trouble sleeping,” the woman's husband said.

A GoFundMe campaign has been created to help the family.

“We have a huge village of support, and there has been a big outpouring,” he said.

Castanet has reached out to police for more information, but has yet to receive a response.