RCMP say woman killed in fatal hit-and-run north of Duncan

RCMP are investigating after a pedestrian was killed in a hit-and-run crash on the Trans-Canada Highway near Duncan on Thursday night.

Neighbours Cheryl Geoghagan and her partner were watching TV when they heard the crash.

“We heard an impact. It wasn’t car on car, it was almost like a deer had been hit,” said Geoghagan.

Mounties say they were called to the highway between Green Road and Beverly Avenue around 9:50 p.m., and when emergency crews arrived, they found a woman dead at the scene.

“The suspect vehicle was not present nor was the driver,” said Cpl. James Grandy with the RCMP’s Communication Services.

The BC Coroners Service was also called in and confirmed the woman’s death, according to the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP.

Despite a concrete median in the middle of the highway, and high-speed traffic travelling on the roadway, neighbours say they often see people crossing the highway where the collision happened because of a nearby camp.

“Quite often, yeah. I commute back and forth to VIU in Nanaimo so I come home late at night from class so I do see homeless people crossing the highway quite often,” said Chaya Napier, a neighbour who adds that it’s scary to see as a driver.

The highway was closed in both directions for about five hours as crews investigated the scene, and collected forensic evidence.

As of Friday morning, the victim’s identity has not yet been determined, according to RCMP.

Police are now asking for anyone with information on the crash, or on the identity of the driver or the vehicle involved, to contact the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at (250) 748-5522.

Drivers are also asked to review their dashcam video of this stretch of highway between 9 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. on April 18.

SEE ALSO: ‘Heartbroken’: Police seize vehicle in Cedar as part of fatal hit-and-run investigation

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