Southbound highway lanes near Lantzville are now clear after a semi truck crashed and rolled off the road at Ware Road and the Island Highway this morning.
According to Shannon Miller, spokesperson for B.C. Emergency Health Services, first responders were called at 10:48 a.m. to the rollover incident with five ground ambulances dispatched to the scene, in addition to an air ambulance helicopter.
Paramedics tended to four patients and three were transported by ground ambulance to hospital, while one was airlifted. The three are in stable condition, while the one that was airlifted is in “serious condition,” Miller said.
Update on Ware Rd MVA: Expect southbound lanes to remain closed for at least 2 more hours. We thank you for your patience. #Namaste #DriveSafe #lantzville @cityofnanaimo
— Nanaimo RCMP (@NanaimoRCMP) August 28, 2019
Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, said it appears as if the semi had collided with the rear of a vehicle at the intersection of Ware Road and the highway.
“The semi ditched it to the right,” said O’Brien. “The driver of the semi was injured, later extracted and taken to [Nanaimo Regional General Hospital]. The vehicle was basically demolished. There were three people inside, two males, one female. The female passenger was seriously injured, extricated, airlifted to Victoria. The two male passengers … they were also taken to NRGH, with status unknown.”
Drive B.C. posted on social media that the accident, about two kilometres north of Nanaimo just off the highway southbound, was expected to cause “major delays” and asked that motorists obey traffic control personnel.
O’Brien said traffic analysts were still on scene, as of 1:45 p.m., with traffic being re-routed onto Superior Road, westbound.
Just after 5 p.m., Drive B.C. tweeted that the section of the highway is now clear, but motorists should expect delays and congestion for some time.
For past coverage of car crashes in the Nanaimo area, click here.
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