Man struck by vehicle on Malahat
By Contributor
A man remains in hospital after being struck on the Trans-Canada Highway near Okotoks Road (Malahat Summit area) shortly before 6 p.m. on Saturday (February 7).
Shawnigan Lake RCMP responded to a report of a seriously injured man found on the roadway of the Trans-Canada Highway.
Several passing motorists had observed the injured man lying on the side of the northbound lane and stopped to help him. BC Ambulance Service personnel rushed the man to a Victoria area hospital a short time later, where he remains with serious injuries.
Due to the significance of the man’s injuries, police have been unable to interview him.
The initial investigation indicates that man was likely hitchhiking at the time, heading northbound, when he was struck by a passing vehicle.
That vehicle did not stop at the scene, and police have yet to locate any witnesses to this collision.
A short time before receiving the report of the injured man, a motorist called the RCMP to report a male hitchhiker, wearing dark clothing, who was hitchhiking in the travel portion of the northbound lanes near Okotoks Road.
The caller felt the man was at risk of being struck by passing cars. An officer was dispatched to this report, when multiple calls about the injured man began to come in.
Based on the significant injuries this man sustained, our investigators are confident that he was struck by a passing vehicle, said Cpl. Darren Lagan of the Vancouver Island RCMP.
We are appealing to anyone who saw this collision, and directly to the driver involved, to contact us immediately.
The man has been identified as a 32-year-old Ladysmith resident. His identity will not be released.
