A weekend hit-and-run along the Inland Island Highway near Parksville has left a cyclist in hospital, according to RCMP.
On Sunday at around 4:50 p.m., Oceanside RCMP received a report of a cyclist who had been hit while riding northbound near the Englishman River, about two kilometres south of Exit 51.
RCMP says the driver fled the scene and left the victim—a man in his 30s—with serious injuries. He was then flown to hospital by air ambulance, according to a Monday statement from BC Highway Patrol.
All northbound lanes on the Inland Highway were temporarily closed to accommodate the ambulance and a police investigation. When the highway had reopened, DriveBC warned that delays were likely due to congestion in the area.
CLEAR – #BCHwy19 Vehicle incident past the #BCHwy19A junction in #Parksville has cleared. Expect some delays to remain due to congestion in the area.#Lantzville #Nanaimo
— DriveBC (@DriveBC) March 7, 2022
While numerous witnesses have since come forward, investigators now seek more information along with any dashcam footage captured in the crash area on Sunday between 4:30 p.m. and 5:15 p.m.
Officials ask anyone with information to call Parksville-based BC Highway Patrol at (250) 954-2953, referencing file #2022-133.
“BC Highway Patrol in Parksville has assumed conduct of the file with assistance from the Oceanside RCMP, the Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service and the Forensic Identification Service,” added the statement.
