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Two sent to hospital, one driver charged after collision on Highway 19 near Little Qualicum River bridge

A 43-year-old man from Qualicum Beach was airlifted from the scene with serious injuries; police said he is now recovering at home.

CARLI BERRY

news@pqbnews.com

Charges have been laid after a collision involving three vehicles July 9 on the Inland Highway placed two people in the hospital.

A 23-year-old man from Nanaimo has been charged with "driving without due care and attention" said Oceanside RCMP Cpl. Jesse Foreman.

The man claimed he was "reaching for something" and no drugs or alcohol have been related to the incident, said Foreman.

A 43-year-old man from Qualicum Beach was airlifted from the scene with serious injuries. Foreman said he is now recovering at home.

Police, ambulance and fire services were called to Highway 19's Little Qualicum Bridge at 6:40 p.m. on

July 9, according to RCMP.

A pick-up truck driven by a 43-year-old man from Qualicum Beach was driving northbound when it lost a ladder on Little Qualicum bridge, according to RCMP. The following vehicle was driven by a 47-year-old woman from Parksville who also happened to be a flagger, the release said. She activated her lights, exited the vehicle and tried to direct traffic while the 43-year-old man attempted to recover the ladder, the release said.

It was then that a pickup truck driven by the 23-year-old man from Nanaimo collided with the parked vehicles and the man from Qualicum Beach was “struck and thrown an unknown distance,” said RCMP. Both men were sent to the hospital and the woman managed to avoid injury.

It took six hours for both lanes of traffic to re-open, said Foreman.

The 23-year-old is now recovering out of the hospital, Cpl. Foreman said.