Alcohol and speed were factors in an incident that left a motorcyclist dead in North Campbell River on Wednesday night, according to police.
Campbell River RCMP are asking for information from the public about the incident, which involved a truck and a motorcycle on Hwy. 19 near Woodburn Road.
There may have been an earlier encounter between the two vehicles, according to police.
“We believe there was interaction between the truck and the motorcycle beginning in the downtown area of Campbell River before the crash,” said Sgt. Dave Johnson in a media statement.
Police didn’t specify the nature of the interaction, but urged witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.
The RCMP said a 62-year-old man succumbed to his injuries at the scene, while the truck’s driver, a 58-year-old woman, was taken into police custody and then released.
The statement added: “Alcohol and speed are contributing factors to the crash and charges are pending.”
Police said they responded to the incident at 8 p.m. on Wednesday night. A collision reconstructionist was also at the scene, along with the BC Coroner.
Hwy. 19 was closed in both directions around 9 p.m. before reopening at midnight, according to DriveBC. Police added that traffic was rerouted to allow for an investigation.
That investigation is ongoing, involving the provincial coroner’s office, local RCMP and the North Island traffic wing of the Mounties.
It was the second fatal collision on Hwy. 19 in as many days in the Campbell River area.
RELATED: One dead in head-on collision on Highway 19
On Tuesday afternoon, police said that a head-on collision claimed the life of a driver whose car crossed the centre line, crashing into a truck.
