Hwy 19 crash sends one to hospital

CHEK
Head on crash may have been caused by driver overcorrecting after he hit gravel shoulder.
 
A violent crash happened just before 4 p.m Saturday on in the Inland Island Highway just north of the Englishman River bridge in Parksville.
 
“One vehicle had been southbound, crossed over the median into the oncoming traffic northbound striking two vehicles before it came to a rest in the ditch.” Constable Doug Pennington of the RCMP Central Island Traffic Services told CHEK News at the scene. 
 
The pickup truck that was southbound sustained major damage and the driver had to be taken from the scene in an air ambulance.
 
His truck had hit two vehicles heading north, a dodge charger with one person inside and a minivan carrying a mother and two young children.
 
“They all walked away” added Pennington. “No cuts and bruises or scrapes. It’s kind of amazing.”
 
The speed limit in the area is 120km/hr.  Police say the white pickup may have hit the gravel shoulder before the driver over corrected and veered left over the median. 
 
“We’ve gathered information from witnesses at the scene that were behind the vehicle, both the white pick up as well as the two northbound vehicles.” said Pennington. 
 
Fire departments from Parksville and Errington both responded and a crash reconstruction team analyzed the scene.
 
Investigators were seen marking the shoulder where the truck hit the gravel.
 
The northbound lanes of the highway were closed for 6 hours while southbound traffic was reduced to one lane.
 
Officers say blocked motorists were too impatient. 
 
“Well let me comment on everybody else’s priorities” said Pennington. “We’ve had people cutting across the median when we need to have emergency services coming down here. We are last on the totem pole it would seem in the public’s eye, the travelling public. Actually we ended up giving a guy a ticket. He had both hands off the steering wheel so he could videotape while going through the scene.”
 
Police had no update on the condition of the pickup truck driver.
 
The highway was fully reopened Saturday night at 10 o’clock. 
 

Dean StoltzDean Stoltz

Recent Stories

Send us your news tips and videos!