The intersection of Hammond Bay Road and the Old Island Highway was closed for several hours Friday after a two-car crash sent three people to hospital.
The collision happened shortly before 9 p.m. when Nanaimo RCMP, firefighters and B.C. Ambulance paramedics responded to the scene that included reports of a person trapped in a vehicle.
Police believe the 55-year-old female driver of a northbound Honda Accord lost control of her vehicle and collided with a Toyota Corolla that was stopped at the intersection of Hammond Bay and Highway 19A.
The Accord struck the median prior to the collision, which caused the car to be launched into the air and struck the stationary Toyota.
The 36-year-old female driver of the Corolla was air lifted to a Vancouver General Hospital with life-threatening head injuries. Her 59-year-old female passenger was taken to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital with minor injuries.
The driver of the Honda sustained leg injuries and was also transported to NRGH for treatment and later released.
The intersection was closed for several hours while an RCMP Traffic Analyst examined the scene.
As of Saturday morning, the woman flown to Vancouver was listed in stable but serious condition, according to Nanaimo RCMP.
The cause of the crash is unknown, but it appears alcohol was not a contributing factor.
Anyone with information that could assist with the investigation is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP at 250-754-2345.
