One woman dead after collision involving elk near Lake Cowichan

A woman from Lake Cowichan has died following a vehicle collision involving an elk on Highway 18 Tuesday night.

Police said the incident occurred on the road between Duncan and Lake Cowichan around 8 p.m. on Nov. 19.

According to North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP, the two vehicles involved were driving in opposite directions when one of the drivers attempted to avoid hitting an elk on the road, resulting in a head-on collision.

Police say that one woman was found deceased on scene, while two others, a man and a woman, were in life-threatening condition and air-lifted to hospital. The BC Coroners Service is currently in the early stages of its investigation.

“This is a very tragic situation,” said Sgt. Trevor Busch with North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP in a release. “Collisions with animals are not uncommon, I would like to remind motorists to drive defensively, slow down and leave plenty of distance from the next vehicle to allow the best chance to see wildlife.”

RCMP have also reported that early this morning, at 7 a.m., a second crash involving an elk took place along Highway 18 in the same region. The driver, in this case, was able to walk away from the crash with minor injuries.

A petition was created Wednesday on Change.org is asking the provincial government and ICBC for wildlife fencing to be placed along Highway 18.

“This has gone on for too long. How many more fatalities does there need to be. We ask you to fix this immediately before more loved ones are lost,” the petition says.

Editorial Policies Report an Error