Erin Haluschak
Record staff
Three people were taken to hospital Monday afternoon following a collision involving three vehicles on the 4200 block of Lake Trail Road.
Comox Valley RCMP Const. Marcel Slofstra explained it appeared frost and icy conditions were contributing factors in the collision, which involved a small SUV veering in a ditch, with a pickup truck stopping to assist.
“… by all appearances a third vehicle came down the roadway, struck the second vehicle, and the other occupants of the other vehicles were outside of their vehicle at the time, which turned this into a pedestrian collision,” he noted.
At the time, all three patients were transported by ambulance to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Comox.
Slofstra said on scene it didn’t appear as though alcohol was a factor, but road conditions and cooler weather appeared to have played a factor in the crash.
“There is a lesson to be learned here, and that is if it’s slippery enough for your vehicle to travel off the roadway, you need to be vigilant in insuring your own safety,” and added the initial safest place to be most often is within the vehicle unless there are circumstances which would not allow drivers and passengers to remain inside.
Slofstra added police have the opportunity to issue a ticket in a situation where speed - even if it’s near the posted limit - is too high relative to road conditions.
“If the safe speed is actually below the posted speed limit, and you’re travelling below the posted speed limit but you’re not in a position to control your vehicle, then that charge could be applicable in those situations, yes … I don’t know if that’s going to happen in this situation here, but that is always a possibility.”
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Rhonda Sinclair knows the generosity of the Comox Valley community, and hopes it will once again help out those in need.
Sinclair is friends with one of the individuals involved in Monday’s accident, and connected with the couple who came to the aid of the driver whose SUV slid into the ditch.
She said the couple - who were visiting the Valley from Calgary on their first day of holidays - suffered significant injuries.
“I went to the hospital (Tuesday) morning with flowers and cookies,” noted Sinclair, and added the husband and wife suffered broken femurs and other serious injuries.
She noted while the husband hoped to be released from hospital soon, his wife was transported to a hospital in Victoria for surgery.
“They don’t have money for a hotel. I was thinking why not get together and see what the community can pull together. They went and did a good thing and look what ended up happening. Let’s help out those people for them to have a good holiday.”
Sinclair is collecting donations for the couple; anyone interested in donating can contact her at 250-338-3472 or email Rhonda20@yahoo.com