An 18-year-old Parksville woman died in a traffic accident Sunday morning.
Oceanside RCMP report that around 9:50 a.m. a blue Dodge pickup truck, driven by a 17-year-old woman, lost control while passing a car in the southbound lanes of Highway 19, just past exit 51.
"She briefly left the highway to the left and then over-corrected and swerved back across the lanes," states a news release issued Monday morning by the RCMP.
"The truck collided with a car, pushing it off the road. The truck then left the roadway to the right side and collided with a large traffic sign. After striking the sign, the truck rolled several times before coming to a rest."
The lone passenger in the truck, the 18-year-old, was killed. The 17-year-old driver of the truck suffered minor injuries, as did the driver and passenger in the other car who were transported to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital by ambulance.
No names have been released and the RCMP provided no further details.
The highway was only closed temporarily as traffic was diverted into the left lane and able to continue with the assistance of flagging staff. Central Vancouver Island Traffic Services is still investigating.
Any witnesses who have not already talked to police, or have further information, call Cpl. Elston at 250-954-2951.
— NEWS Staff