A 45-year-old Fanny Bay resident was fatally injured Friday evening (Dec. 18) on the Inland Island Highway at Rosewall Creek when his vehicle lost control and rolled several times.
North Island Traffic Services note the preliminary investigation revealed a northbound vehicle — a Toyota 4-Runner — lost control, crossed the grass median striking the bank and rolling over several times before coming to a stop in the southbound lane.
The driver was pronounced dead at the scene, while the 27-year-old passenger, a Nanaimo resident, was airlifted to Victoria General Hospital and is expected to make a full recovery.
Speed and weather/road conditions are believed to have been contributing factors in the collision. The BC Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of the man as Joel Christopher Reeves.
• The Comox Valley RCMP responded to a single-vehicle collision during the late night hours of Dec. 22, where a young man died.
At 11:59 p.m. the Comox Valley RCMP, along with the BC Provincial Ambulance attended to the Inland Island Highway, approximately 15 km north of Cook Creek near Deep Bay. Upon arrival, a vehicle was found in the centre median. The 24-year-old male was the only person in the vehicle and was pronounced deceased at the scene. The road conditions at the time of the collision were reported to be slippery with slushy sections. Drugs and alcohol are not suspected at this time, however, speed and road conditions may have been contributing factors for this motor vehicle collision.
The victim’s name has not yet been released.
— With files from the Comox Valley Record