2 dead in early-morning collision on Highway 1 in Nanaimo
Driver was allegedly heading southbound in the northbound lane on Highway 1
The B.C. Coroners Service has confirmed the death of two people after a two vehicle collision on Highway 1 in Nanaimo, B.C., Monday morning.
Around 1 a.m. PT, a Nanaimo RCMP officer attempted to stop a white GMC pickup truck, according to a RCMP statement.
The driver allegedly failed to stop and was last seen driving southbound in the northbound lane on Highway 1.
The police news release says the same white GMC pickup truck was later involved in a head-on collision with a separate vehicle, a red SUV, in the northbound lane.
The drivers, both male, died at the scene.
The collision, which has now been cleared, blocked Highway 1 northbound between Cedar Road and the Duke Point exit for around 10 hours Monday morning.
The Independent Investigations Office of B.C. [IIO B.C.] is looking into the incident "to determine whether police actions or inactions are linked to the drivers' deaths," the police statement said.
Anyone with informaton is asked to contact the IIO B.C. at 1-855-446-8477.
With files from Liz McArthur