Nanaimo RCMP is investigating after a pedestrian was seriously injured in a crash late Tuesday evening.
Police say the crash occurred around 11:15 p.m. in the 200-block of Nicol Street in front of the MGM Restaurant.
Mounties say they believe a woman, who is in her 50s, was trying to cross the four-lane road in a section where there is no crosswalk when the crash occurred.
“Investigators noted that it was raining at the time and the victim was wearing dark non-reflective clothing,” said police in a release Wednesday.
The woman was struck by a Toyota Prius and treated by paramedics at the scene before being transported to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital with life-threatening injuries. She was then airlifted to hospital in Victoria.
Meanwhile, the driver of the Prius, a man in his 40s, remained at the scene.
Police say drugs and alcohol have been ruled out as factors in the crash, and the vehicle was seized for investigative purposes. It has since been released back to the owner.
Mounties note that a stretch of Nicol Street was closed for roughly three hours on Tuesday night as investigators reviewed the scene. A collision analyst was also present and forensic evidence was collected, police say.
Mounties are now asking witnesses or anyone with dashcam video of the area around 11 p.m. to contact the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345.
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Adam Chan
