A collision analyst is still trying to figure out exactly what led up to an accident Saturday afternoon in Penticton that killed a 41-year-old motorcyclist at what was recently named the city’s most dangerous intersection.
Family confirmed that Kevin Vezina was the man killed, but are not prepared to speak with media yet.
Vezina died after his 2008 Yamaha hit the passenger side of a Toyota Camry that was in the process of turning east off of Main Street onto Industrial Avenue.
Penticton RCMP spokesman Sgt. Rick Dellebuur said witnesses told police the 65-year-old Parksville man behind the wheel of the Camry entered the intersection on a green light as he waited to make the turn, which he began once oncoming traffic began to slow as the light turned yellow.
However, witnesses also told police the motorcycle “appeared to accelerate as the light turned red” and drove into the side of the Camry, Dellebuur continued.
He said the incident highlights the need for motorists to exercise caution when approaching intersections.
RCMP said the intersection is an attraction for a lot of drivers because they are usually seeking access to arteries like Main Street or Highway 97.
Statistics compiled by the agency showed 15 accidents at the intersection last year, and 65 in total between 2008 and 2013.
The intersection of Main Street and Industrial Avenue was recently flagged as the city’s most dangerous by the Insurance Corporation of B.C., based on the number of crashes there.
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Posted: Sept. 13, 2014
Traffic was redirected at the intersection of Main Street and Industrial Avenue on Saturday afternoon after a motor vehicle accident between a Yamaha motorcycle and a Toyota sedan.
The incident happened around 4 p.m.
No details are available at this time if there are any injuries.