The community on Saltspring Island is mourning a teenager who died in a car accident early Sunday morning while his friend and passenger lay unconscious for 14 hours before being found by a nearby resident.Police say the car appears to have rolled when it skidded off the road at a dangerous corner around 2:30 a.m. and ended up in a wooded area on a farmers property. The crash site was found hours later when a neighbour spotted skid marks on the road.Ryan Plambeck, 18, was driving the car and is believed to have died instantly. His friend Calder McCormick, 17, was likely thrown from the vehicle and remained unconscious until emergency crews arrived.McCormick remains in critical condition in Victoria General Hospital. Its sad when you lose young people and we really hope (McCormick) makes a complete recovery, said Sgt. George Jenkins of the Saltspring Island RCMP. Based on preliminary interviews with friends and family, the two teenagers are believed to have been at a party before the accident. The B.C. Coroners Service will test for alcohol.The owner of the farm discovered the tire tracks leading onto his property just before 5 p.m. on Sunday. He told police the corner is a particularly dangerous one where other drivers have lost control and landed on his property. The problems of speed and dangerous corners, however, are common on the island, police report. Mounties have stepped up speeding enforcement, equipping every vehicle with radar.There are so many bad corners on this island and speed is definitely a factor in the accidents we go to, Jenkins said. Meanwhile, family and friends are trying to cope with Plambecks death and are planning a celebration of his life at the Saltspring Island skate park on Sept. 26, according to a social media campaign launched this week. Several postings also show plans for a barbecue fundraiser for the McCormick family planned for today. Luke Hylands has fond memories of Plambeck and is struggling with the loss of his close friend. Ryan was a brother, an uncle, a friend, a mentor, a hero, a major influence on so many people, he wrote in an online comment. My best of memories of Ryan is him straight killing it at the skatepark.[email protected]
