A crash along Hwy. 1 at Cranberry Rd. in south Nanaimo claimed the life of a woman after she was hit by a vehicle running a red light. (Spencer Sterritt/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

FATAL CRASH

Woman killed by speeding driver in highway crash south of Nanaimo

May 21, 2021 | 11:11 AM

NANAIMO — A 74-year-old woman is dead after being t-boned by a speeding truck which ran a red light along Hwy. 1 in Chase River.

The crash occurred shortly before 9 p.m. on Thursday, May 20 at the intersection of Cranberry Rd. and Hwy. 1, just north of Cedar Rd.

Cst. Gary O’Brien said the woman was pronounced dead on the scene with “catostrophic” injuries.

“Although it’s early on in the investigation, alcohol and speed are believed to be contributing factors,” O’Brien said.

Witnesses on scene told NanaimoNewsNOW a white truck travelling south blew through the intersection at a high rate of speed.

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“(The truck) hit her, spun her around three or four times before her car came to rest. He flew up in the air, spun around a couple of times then landed,” a witness said.

The witness estimated the truck was travelling over 100 kilometres per hour upon entering the intersection.

RCMP said the driver of the truck, a 47-year-old man, sustained serious injuries and was transported to hospital in Nanaimo by an Advanced Life Support Crew. He was later flown to Victoria via BC Air Ambulance.

O’Brien said he couldn’t speak to the behaviour of the truck driver in the moments leading up to the crash.

Traffic was initially re-routed away from the scene via the Nanaimo Parkway or Cranberry Rd. Detours for southbound traffic later changed to Tenth St. as police conducted an investigation.

RDN transit buses were also re-routed Thursday evening away from the scene.

The highway was closed for approximately six hours and re-opened in the early hours of Friday, May 21.

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