Two cyclists hit in Langford, one by impaired driver: RCMP

Two cyclists were hit by drivers in Langford last week, one of the drivers was impaired, and “low light conditions” led to the second crash, according to West Shore RCMP.

The first incident was on April 19 around 2:40 p.m.

The driver of a Dodge Ram pickup truck hit a cyclist in the parking lot of Canadian Tire at 855 Langford Parkway.

RCMP says the driver stayed at the scene and was showing signs of impairment. The 34-year-old driver provided a breath sample and he blew over the legal limit.

The cyclist was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and the truck driver had his truck impounded.

He has also received a driving prohibition and RCMP is recommending charges of impaired driving.

According to ICBC, 21 per cent of fatal crashes in B.C. involve impaired driving. This means 61 people die due to impaired driving each year.

If a driver is convicted of impaired driving under the Criminal Code, they face a fine of at least $1,000, a driving prohibition and jail time. For a first offence, the mandatory minimum is a $1,000 charge, a second offence the minimum is 30 days imprisonment and 120 imprisonment for a third offence. All three come with a maximum of 10 years imprisonment.

The driver may also be referred to the Responsible Driver Program and/or the Ignition Interlock Program.

‘Low light conditions’ led to driver not seeing cyclist in second crash

On April 25, West Shore RCMP was called to another incident where a cyclist was hit by a driver, this time just steps from the RCMP detachment.

At 11:10 p.m., it was reported that a driver of a Hyundai Accent hit a cyclist in the intersection of Veterans Memorial Parkway and Goldstream Avenue.

RCMP says the driver was making a left turn and the cyclist was going straight through.

“Officers determine the low light conditions contributed to the driver not seeing the cyclist,” RCMP say in a release.

The cyclist suffered minor injuries, the driver was sober and “very remorseful and cooperative with police.”

The driver was given a verbal warning and was not issued a ticket.

In the release, RCMP say the intersection had “low light conditions,” however, screen captures from the DriveBC highway cams in the intersection show the intersection is well-lit.

When asked by CHEK News to clarify, a spokesperson said, “It was still the evening after sunset, perhaps the better phase to be used here is “lower light conditions”. Regardless, the driver was at fault in this situation.”

According to ICBC’s crash statistics, there were 203 crashes at this intersection between 2018-2022.

The north view of the Goldstream Avenue and Veterans Memorial Parkway. (DriveBC)The east view of the Goldstream Avenue and Veterans Memorial Parkway. (DriveBC)The south view of the Goldstream Avenue and Veterans Memorial Parkway. (DriveBC)The west view of the Goldstream Avenue and Veterans Memorial Parkway. (DriveBC)

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