Police suspect a drunk driver caused a serious crash on the Trans-Canada Highway on Saturday, sending four people to hospital and snarling traffic for hours in both directions.
West Shore RCMP said a criminal investigation is underway after a southbound Honda Accord and a northbound Volkswagen sedan collided on the Malahat Drive near the entrance to Goldstream Park just before 9 a.m.
“Investigators are examining the possibility that alcohol and driving pattern on the part of the driver of the southbound Honda may be factors in this crash,” said RCMP Cpl. Baden Jones. “A criminal investigation is now underway.”
Each vehicle was operated by a female driver and had a single passenger, said RCMP spokesman Cpl. Darren Lagan.
The crash occurred in a narrow, two-lane section of the highway in an area without centre medians.
B.C. Ambulance said it took four patients to Victoria General Hospital — two in critical condition and two in stable condition. Fire crews also attended.
West Shore RCMP and a crash analyst with Island District RCMP traffic services are investigating.
The highway was closed for more than four hours, halting traffic in both directions. Many drivers used Finlayson Arm Road to escape the congestion, causing police to warn that road was not safe for heavy traffic.
Drive B.C. advised drivers to use alternative routes including the Pacific Marine Road, between Lake Cowichan and Port Renfrew, and the Brentwood Bay ferry.
Brentwood Bay resident Fiona McLash said that as of 12:39 p.m., the lineup for the ferry was backed up more than a kilometre, to West Saanich Road.
Kathleen Lapeyrouse said she was once the victim of a serious highway crash and felt sympathy for the victims as she sat stuck in the traffic Saturday.
“We finally got off the Malahat at about 1 p.m.,” Lapeyrouse said. “The two crashed vehicles, loaded on flatbeds and followed by a police car, pulled out in front of me to drive into town.”
The crash led the Conservative Party to postpone its nomination meeting for the Cowichan-Malahat-Langford riding to today.
“We needed to make sure that our Langford voters could get up Island to vote,” said Reed Elley.
