Police say it appears speed and alcohol were factors in a Saturday night crash in Esquimalt that caused severe head wounds to the driver, listed Sunday in critical condition.

Police received reports near midnight on Saturday about the driver of a 1992 Geo Storm, who struck several parked cars before crashing on the 900 block of Old Esquimalt Road.

The 24-year-old driver was rushed to hospital with serious head injuries, according to Victoria police. The 20-year-old woman in the passenger seat was not seriously injured.

A witness to the accident had CPR training and was helping to stabilize the man when police arrived.

Paramedics and Esquimalt firefighters pulled the man from the vehicle when they arrived.