Emergency crews stay with the driver inside a rolled SUV at the Highland Blvd. and Island Hwy. intersection on Wednesday, Aug. 19, following a two-vehicle crash. (Image Credit: Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

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Aug 19, 2026 | 1:34 PM

NANAIMO — One person was taken to hospital after a multi-vehicle crash along the Island Hwy.

Emergency crews were called to the highway’s intersection with Highland Blvd., near the Nanaimo Golf Club, just before 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 19, involving an SUV which had rolled onto its side after colliding with at least one other vehicle.

The driver of the SUV, a woman in her late 70s, remained inside her vehicle for some time until firefighters and paramedics could safely remove her, as well as her dog, who was tended to on scene.

“We gained entry to the vehicle through the rear, the hatch back, and we were able to cut the rear seat top out and recline the driver’s seat, so we were able to pull her out that way,” Capt. Shelby Nickel of Nanaimo Fire Rescue said on scene.

First responders tend to a dog found inside an SUV which had rolled onto its side following an accident Wednesday. (Image Credit: Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

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The woman was taken to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital for assessment, while Nanaimo RCMP officers confirmed on scene the dog was a little shaken up but not injured, and was taken to a local vet for a check.

A white Toyota Corolla had front-end damage from the incident, with those inside uninjured.

Nickel said the SUV was turning onto Highland Blvd., crossing “in front of another vehicle, cutting it off and causing the incident.”

He added there were no signs of impairment, and evidence suggested the incident happened at a relatively low speed.

Northbound traffic remained blocked off for around 40 minutes while emergency crews were on scene, with a single lane opened at 1:30 p.m.

Detours were in place down Dorman Rd., while southbound traffic was slow through the accident scene.

Nearby Highland Blvd. was also blocked off in both directions at Cosgrove Cres.

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by NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

Driver hospitalized after crash along Nanaimo’s Island Hwy.

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