A single-vehicle collision in Saanich over the weekend has resulted in the death of a 30-year-old driver and police say they are investigating further to see what may have caused the incident.
According to Saanich Police, the incident took place on May 8 at around 6:35 p.m along Cordova Bay Road, just west of Ash Road.
The driver, a 30-year-old man, was the only occupant of the grey four-door Mitsubishi Lancer.
Several drivers pulled over to the side of the road, including Teyah Sweeney and her boyfriend Andrew Hanlan. The two quickly rushed to help and quickly realized how serious the crash was.
“It was a haunting scene walking up and seeing and smelling all of that,” said Hanlan.
They attempted to help the driver of the vehicle.
“It felt like an eternity [as] I was holding his hand,” said Hanlan.
Police say that when authorities arrived on scene, the man had to be extricated from his vehicle by Saanich Fire. He was rushed to hospital, however, succumbed to his injuries.
An examination of the scene has determined that the vehicle was travelling eastbound on Cordova Bay Road when it veered off-road left and struck a large tree head-on.
Police say that an investigation is underway in order to determine the cause of the collision and the factors that led the driver to hit the tree.
The crash resulted in the road being closed for several hours, eventually reopening just after midnight on Monday morning.
“Anyone that may have witnessed the grey Mitsubishi Lancer driving prior to the collision around 6:30 p.m. in the area of Cordova Bay Road is asked to please contact us,” said Const. Markus Anastasiades.
The couple is hoping to provide relief to the family and friends of the driver knowing that he wasn’t alone.
“We just want them to know that there were people there who really tried their best,” said Sweeney.
Andrew Hanlan, left, and his girlfriend Teyah Sweeney were among the drivers that stopped to help the motorist of a Mitsubishi Lancer that crashed on Cordova Bay Road in the evening hours on May 8. (CHEK News)
Oli Herrera
