A crash involving three vehicles snarled northbound traffic on the Malahat Tuesday, just before the evening commute.
OPEN - #BCHwy1 #VanIsle NB at Goldstream Park. Lane closure in effect due to vehicle incident. #Malahat https://t.co/F0xl4oh2W4
— Drive BC (@DriveBC) September 19, 2017
The crash occurred at around 4 p.m. near Goldstream Provincial Park in Langford. All three vehicles were travelling northbound on the Trans-Canada Highway when the crash occurred.
Langford Fire Chief Chris Aubrey noted “it was right at the very top of Tunnel Hill, right at the edge of border.”
There are barriers on the stretch of roadway and while he said they help prevent head-on collisions, they can create a challenge for emergency crews trying to maneuver in the small area. “It’s a really difficult location.”
Aubrey noted one vehicle sustained significant damage and one person was transported to hospital but the extent of their injuries is unknown.
B.C. Ambulance Services also checked over the other individuals at the scene.
The crash also caught the attention of a black bear in the area that decided to check out what was happening before quickly leaving the area.
“Unfortunately, we had to shut down the road for a period of time,” Aubrey said. Both northbound lanes were closed for approximately 15 minutes. Once it was safe to do so, he noted they reopened one lane to get traffic moving again.
According to the West Shore RCMP, poor driving contributed to the crash and one driver was issued a ticket for following too closely.
Both northbound lanes fully reopened at around 6:30 p.m.
