Witnesses to a crash that seriously injured a motorcyclist Tuesday morning say the rider struck the rear portion of a vehicle that was turning left from a cul-de-sac onto McKenzie Avenue.
The crash at about 6:30 a.m. at McKenzie and Arlene Place, near Carey Road, shut down traffic for hours.
Saanich police said witnesses reported that the motorcyclist was travelling eastbound on McKenzie when the crash happened, throwing the rider off the motorcycle. The rider was taken to Victoria General Hospital with serious injuries.
Arlene Place resident Ray Perry, who has been in his home for about 12 years, said when the McKenzie interchange was being built, he contacted the District of Saanich and provincial and federal governments warning that a fatal accident was inevitable given the speed of traffic travelling around a blind curve on McKenzie up to Arlene Place.
Perry said he suggested installing a traffic light, or failing that, reopening the connection between Arlene and Columbine Way to create another exit for residents.
“There’s only way on and off the cul-de-sac, and that’s onto McKenzie,” he said.
But he said he was told by each level of government that it wasn’t their jurisdiction, and Arlene Place was outside the interchange work area.
He said he also made numerous complaints to Saanich about the speed of traffic on McKenzie, and in response, Saanich police came out “a couple of times” to issue speeding tickets.
Perry, who returned home just after the incident and saw the disturbing scene, said there will likely be more crashes if something isn’t done to improve the intersection.
Perry said drivers travelling from Arlene onto McKenzie Avenue have a hard time seeing what’s coming.
“I figure this is going to keep happening,” he said. “There’s going to be another accident there if they don’t do something.
“Thank God the motorcyclist wasn’t killed.”
Saanich Mayor Fred Haynes said traffic and road engineers will be looking at the outcome of the police investigation to determine if any changes need to made in the area.
“Let’s look to see what the results of that investigation are.”
jbell@timescolonist.com
