Deep ruts running through a small Oak Bay green space appear healed, but the damage to a pair of trees in the Monterey Avenue stands out as a reminder of the tragedy they witnessed one year ago.
As does the bright orange ‘worker ahead’ sign in Bowker Park that serves as a memorial for the man killed there on May 17, 2023.
The slow-healing trees are a stark reminder of the morning when, shortly after 8 a.m. an SUV driven by a 66-year-old Victoria woman careened off the road, killing the father of two.
“As the one-year anniversary approaches, the loss of our colleague, Steve Seekins, still weighs heavily across our team at the district and community of Oak Bay. Our loss cannot compare to the loss of the Seekins family, who are in our thoughts daily. The District of Oak Bay remains committed to supporting staff who have been impacted by this tragedy,” manager of communications Hayley Goodgrove said in a written statement to the Oak Bay News.
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Oak Bay police said the vehicle approached the corner at high speed and hit Seekins, who was inspecting a manhole. The driver was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police, WorkSafe BC and the BC Coroners Service immediately opened concurrent investigations. A year later, there remains no new information publicly available.
“Since the collision, the Saanich Police Major Crime Unit has been investigating the circumstances of the collision, on behalf of the Oak Bay police, and remains committed to ensuring that all possible facets of inquiry leading up to the collision have been comprehensively addressed,” Oak Bay Chief Mark Fisher said.
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“Investigators have remained in contact with Steven’s family, have engaged with representatives from ICBC, WorkSafe BC and the legal team representing the subject driver, and remain in consultation with Crown counsel. Once that consultation is complete, investigators will be able to provide further updates as to the outcome of this investigation.”
The coroner’s office confirmed because the investigation is still in progress, it could not provide any details under the Coroners Act.
Similarly, WorkSafe BC doesn’t have a time frame for when that report will be complete.
“The amount of time an investigation takes is directly related to its complexity,” a spokesperson said.
Oak Bay police are grateful for the many witnesses who provided statements, video and other information as part of the investigation.
Officers also extend “continued and heartfelt condolences” to the family.
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