One man is dead and two passengers have been seriously injured following a single-vehicle crash in Campbell River on Wednesday.
Campbell River RCMP say that officers responded to the incident, which took place at 3:30 p.m. on January 13, in the 100-block of the South Island Highway.
According to police, a pickup truck veered off the highway, striking a post and concrete outside of the Ocean Shores apartment complex and resulting in severe damage to the vehicle.
Campbell River Fire Department had to utilize the ‘Jaws of Life’ on the vehicle – which also destroyed a bus stop in the area during the crash – in order to extract the 50-year-old driver.
Investigators believe that the driver “suffered a severe medical event” that caused the collision, stating that alcohol and drugs were not a factor in the crash.
The driver, along with a 53-year-old passenger and a 73-year old passenger, were all transported by BC Ambulance Services to Campbell River Hospital with serious injuries.
The driver succumbed to his injuries and died at the hospital later that day.
Our thoughts are with the family of the driver and we are hoping for a full recovery for both passengers,
said Cst Maury Tyre. We’d also like to thanks BC Ambulance, Campbell River Fire, and medical staff at the Campbell River Hospital for their outstanding professionalism in a very difficult situation.
RCMP note that a traffic reconstructionist remained on scene for several hours following the incident, which caused significant traffic delays.
No further information is being released by the RCMP in regards to this collision as it continues to be investigated by police and the BC Coroners Service.
Graham Cox
