A pickup truck was torn apart and a car burst into flames in a crash that involved a B.C. Transit bus and left one driver with serious injuries.
Victoria police say several witnesses reported a car travelling at “high speed” southbound on Douglas Street about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, running a red light at Bay Street and smashing into the side of an eastbound pickup truck.
Security video of the crash shows the truck being thrown across the intersection with such force that the back end breaks apart on impact with a northbound B.C. Transit bus waiting at the stoplight, while the car bursts into flames.
Two people waiting at the crosswalk just feet from the bus narrowly escaped the flying debris. They went to check on the burning car.
Victoria police officers were almost immediately on the scene — a police vehicle went through the same intersection just seconds before the crash. Crews from the Victoria Fire Department and B.C. Ambulance paramedics also responded.
Bus passengers and bystanders looked into the pickup to check on the driver. They helped one person out of the cab of the truck and onto the curb.
In the video, the bus blocked the view of the car, but flames can be seen shooting up above the bus’s roof.
Police said an officer, with the assistance of bystanders, removed the car’s driver, who sustained minor injuries, as well as a passenger.
B.C. Emergency Health Services spokesman Brian Twaites said paramedics provided emergency medical treatment and transported two patients to hospital.
Police described the pickup driver’s injuries as “serious and possibly life-altering.”
B.C. Transit said no significant injuries were reported by passengers on the bus.
Forensic identification officers have collected a blood sample from the car driver to determine whether impairment was involved, police said.
The intersection was closed for several hours after the crash.
David Peterson, an acting battalion chief with the Victoria Fire Department, said the truck and car both had extensive damage and there was a significant amount of fuel on the ground.
The front end of the bus suffered damage and it was taken out of service.
Patrol officers, crash analysts and the forensic identification services unit from VicPD are investigating.
