A 37-year-old woman who had been walking her dog died after being struck by a south-bound vehicle near the Nanaimo airport just before 6 a.m. Monday.
The woman had succumbed to her injuries by the time first responders had arrived to the scene on Highway 1, RCMP said. The woman’s dog was also killed.
The driver of a small blue Nissan sedan was taken to hospital to be treated for non-life threatening injuries, police said. Images of the vehicle show damage to the hood and the windshield.
Cpl. Chris Manseau told CHEK News that the collision happened in a dark area. The woman’s belongings, including a backpack, where strewn along a 100-metre stretch of the highway.
Southbound lanes of Highway 1 were closed for several hours. Ladysmith RCMP, the B.C. Coroners Service, South Island Traffic Services, and a traffic analyst are investigating.
Police are asking witnesses or anyone who might have video of the woman or the driver taken before the crash to contact Ladysmith RCMP at 250-245-2215.
