A fatal collision closed Highway 19 south of Port McNeill for most of the day Thursday.
At around 8 a.m., Port McNeill RCMP responded to a fatal collision eight kilometres south of Port McNeill.
The highway was closed for several hours.
According to police, a southbound vehicle allegedly drove into the rear of an empty logging truck, which was stopped on the highway. Police said early indications are that the driver of the logging truck had stopped on the highway, activated hazard lights and was waiting for a RCMP officer who had pulled over a vehicle ahead of the logging truck.
It is believed that the RCMP vehicle had its emergency lights activated at the time.
The driver of the vehicle was transported to hospital in critical conditions while a female passenger was pronounced dead at the scene.
Two other passengers in the vehicle received minor injuries. The driver of the logging truck was not injured.
The RCMP, North Island Traffic Services, Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service, Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement and the Criminal Collision Investigation Team are conducting an investigation.
Anyone with information on the crash is asked to call North Vancouver Island Traffic Services at 250-286-5646.
Julian Kolsut
