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VIDEO UPDATE: Three hospitalized after major crash on Highway 19 near Qualicum Beach

Highway reopens at Horne Lake Road nearly five hours after Wednesday afternoon collision
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One car rests in the centre of the intersection while a pickup truck is towed in the background following a three-vehicle collision at the intersection of Highway 19 and Horne Lake Road north of Qualicum Beach Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 9, 2017. — J.R. Rardon/PQB NEWS

Three people were taken to hospital and Highway 19 was closed following a three-vehicle collision involving a semi tractor-trailer at the intersection of Highway 19 and Horne Lake Road north of Qualicum Beach late Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 9, 2017.

As of 9:30 p.m., DriveBC was showing the incident clear and the highway reopened following hours of single-lane, detoured passage around the intersection in both directions.

One victim was taken by B.C. Air Ambulance and two others by ground ambulance, Bow Horn Bay Volunteer Fire Department Chief Geoff McIntosh said.

The incident, which was called into the Bow Horn Bay VFD at 4 p.m., left one small coupe a crumpled wreck in the centre of the intersection. A Chevrolet work pickup was left straddling the island at the southbound entry lane from Horne Lake Road to Highway 19, while the semi truck was parked, facing southbound, more than 100 metres away in the northbound passing lane of the highway, with a stoplight and pole wrapped under its front bumper.

RCMP Cpl. Doug Pennington said all three vehicles were travelling southbound in the right lane at the intersection. The semi truck was trailing the two other vehicles and somehow drove right into them.

“Why? We don’t know yet,” said Pennington.

Each vehicle had just one occupant, said Pennington. The drivers of both the smaller car and the pickup had to be extracted by firefighters using the jaws of life. McIntosh said the Deep Bay Volunteer Fire Department joined the Bow Horn Bay VFD in the call-out and provided assistance with the extrications.

Neither fire officials nor police were able to share the nature or severity of the victims’ injuries.

By 6 p.m. responders were routing single-lane traffic in both directions on Highway 19 around the intersection via the off- and on-ramps at Horne Lake Road. The intersection itself remained closed, preventing left turns or through traffic on Horne Lake Road itself, until being fully reopened later in the evening.

More to come…


 

@ragnarhaagen
ragnar.haagen@bpdigital.ca

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(Submitted by Christina Pasanen)