UPDATE: Two children were taken to hospital in a crash on the Nanaimo Parkway on Sunday afternoon.
Nanaimo RCMP said one of the girls was taken to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital while the other was transported to hospital in Victoria. The children were passengers in a minivan that was rear-ended by a semi truck on the parkway near Aulds Road.
The crash happened shortly after noon March 28 just south of the Aulds Road intersection on the Nanaimo Parkway.
According to police a 26-year-old driver had pulled off to the side of road next to the fast lane after his Chevrolet Blazer SUV had a breakdown.
Vehicles backed up behind the broken-down Blazer, including a Honda Odyssey minivan driven by a 40-year-old woman, who had four girls in the vehicle ages one, five, eight and 13.
“The driver swerved to go into the slow lane and was rear-ended by a semi,” said Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman.
The driver of the semi was not injured, but the minivan suffered extensive damage and two children were transported to hospital, one to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital and the other to Victoria General Hospital with serious, but non life-threatening injuries.
“Later that day one child was stable in Nanaimo hospital. The other was transported to Victoria General for further examination,” O’Brien said.
The southbound lanes of the parkway were closed for more than three hours as RCMP collision analysts investigated the crash scene. The vehicles involved were towed from the site and the investigation into the crash is continuing.
“Anyone with dash cam video, please contact us prior to posting it to social media,” O’Brien said.
Anyone who witnessed the crash and has not spoken with police or has information about the collision is asked to call the Nanaimo RCMP detachment at 250-754-2345.
PREVIOUSLY POSTED: The Nanaimo Parkway was closed to southbound traffic at Aulds Road for an investigation into a crash there earlier this afternoon.
Emergency crews were called to the intersection about 12:10 p.m. Sunday, March 28. Firefighters said the two-vehicle collision involved a semi truck and a minivan, but did not have information about any injuries sustained in the crash. The incident was turned over to the RCMP to investigate.
DriveB.C. noted that that traffic was being detoured, then reported at 3:30 that the scene was clear.
editor@nanaimobulletin.com
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