Four people were rushed to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital Thursday morning after two separate motor vehicle crashes that took place within both minutes and metres of each other on Highway 19.
Oceanside Corporal Jesse Foreman said police received a call about the first crash, located between Exit 51 and the Church Road overpass, at 6:35 a.m.
“A northbound pickup truck lost control for unknown reasons and went off the road,” Foreman said. “The two female occupants were taken to NRGH with non life-threatening injuries.”
Within minutes, police received another call, this time from a two-vehicle collision on the opposite side of the highway.
“One pickup rear-ended the other and both trucks went across the median into the ditch,” Foreman said. “One of the drivers had serious injuries and was airlifted to Victoria hospital.”
Foreman said the investigation into the crash is continuing.
Driver confusion is being cited as the reason an elderly female driver accidentally rammed her Honda CRV into the Qualicum Toy Shop Thursday afternoon. Although there was extensive damage to the store, nobody was injured and police are not contemplating charges.