Nanaimo RCMP is hoping any witnesses or anyone who has dashcam footage of the crash on Wednesday between an SUV and a semi-truck will come forward.
The crash occurred on the Nanaimo Parkway near the Harewood Mines overpass around 6 a.m. on June 19, when the driver of an SUV was driving the wrong way in the northbound lanes, causing a collision with a northbound semi-truck driver.
On Wednesday, RCMP told CHEK News that the semi-truck driver had attempted to swerve to miss the SUV but the collision occurred, knocking the semi-truck onto its side.
The driver of the semi-truck was airlifted to a Victoria hospital after being stuck inside for several hours while emergency responders tried to free him, and the driver of the SUV was taken to a Nanaimo hospital. Both drivers remain in hospital.
Watch the story from Wednesday:
Nanaimo RCMP says a woman provided emergency first aid to the driver of the SUV until first responders arrived, but left before speaking with police. RCMP is hoping to speak with that woman or other witnesses as well as anyone who has dashcam footage of the Nanaimo crash.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345.
On Wednesday, the crash resulted in the closure of the highway for several hours while crews worked to free the trapped driver, then to clear the scene. The southbound lanes of the highway reopened around 11:30 a.m., and the northbound lanes were closed until roughly 3:45 p.m.
ICBC crash stats show there have been four crashes in this area between 2018 and 2022.
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-With files from CHEK’s Skye Ryan, Adam Chan
Laura Brougham
