A man has died following a single-vehicle crash on Kitsuksis Road in Port Alberni this morning.
On Monday, Sept. 11 at 5:46 a.m., Port Alberni RCMP along with BC Ambulance and Beaver Creek Fire Department responded to a serious single vehicle crash in the 5600 block of Kitsuksis Rd., where it turns the corner at Poplar Street.
A green Chevy Suburban had left the roadway and struck a tree. The driver, the only occupant, was trapped in the vehicle and was extricated by the fire department but had already succumbed to his injuries. The man’s dog was seriously injured and was taken to veterinarian.
The road was closed for several hours as police and the coroner finished their investigation into the cause of the crash. A collision reconstructionist was also called in.
The road re-opened shortly before 11 a.m.
At this time, police are unable to determine when the crash occurred and are asking anyone who may have seen the vehicle driving around earlier in the night to contact the Port Alberni RCMP at 250-723-2424.
“We’re looking for the public’s assistance if they had seen the vehicle driving around so we can get a timeline,” RCMP Cpl. Amelia Hayden said.
Beaver Creek Fire Dept. Chief Charlie Starratt said Kitsuksis Road is a bad road for accidents.
“The whole road is a bad road and people tend to drive it extremely fast,” said Starratt, who has been a member of the volunteer department for 35 years.
“Typically, we’ll have one MVI (motor vehicle incident) a year on this road. Usually they’re down by the train tracks and we have to pull them up (the steep shoulder).”
More information will be released when it comes available. The RCMP did not release the name of the victim as the next of kin had not been notified.
