Canton alderman strikes pedestrian with vehicle

A Canton alderman struck a pedestrian near the historic Canton Square on Saturday night, Police Chief Otha Brown said. 

Ward 3 Alderman Les Penn was traveling east on East Peace Street around 9 p.m. when an Hispanic girl crossed the road in front of Penn’s vehicle, Brown explained. As Penn went through the light at East Peace Street and Liberty Street on the south side of the Square that’s when the accident happened, he said.

“He wasn’t driving fast or anything like that,” Brown said, adding there was also no indication Penn was intoxicated or distracted. He said he didn’t expect charges to be filed.

Brown said it was raining and the female did not cross the road at a crosswalk, saying it looked like an unfortunate accident. 

“(Penn) was really consoling the girl,” Brown said. “He was shook up. He was holding an umbrella so she wouldn’t get wet.”

Paramedics arrived and transported the woman to Merit Health for treatment. 

Canton’s famous Victorian Christmas Festival was closed on Saturday due to the weather, but Brown said people still came downtown to look at the lights in the rain.