1 dead, 3 hospitalized after crash on Vancouver Island

The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police "E" Division Headquarters, in Surrey, B.C., on Friday April 13, 2018. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

Victoria -

One man is dead and three other people, including a child, were taken to hospital following a crash on a logging road near Bamfield, B.C.

Port Alberni RCMP say they were called to the single-vehicle crash on the Central South Main Forest Service Road near the Center Main Connector around 1:30 a.m. Sunday.

Investigators believe that the vehicle, carrying four occupants, drove off the roadway and struck a tree.

Passing motorists witnessed the crash and began first-aid treatment as emergency services were called in, police say.

"A male passenger in the vehicle was determined to be deceased at the time emergency services arrived, the next of kin have been notified," said Port Alberni RCMP in a release Tuesday.

Another passenger, a woman, was airlifted to Victoria General Hospital with "potentially serious injuries," police say. The driver and a child were also taken to hospital as a precaution.

"The matter is still under investigation, however alcohol is not believed to be a factor," said Sgt. Peter Dionne of the Port Alberni RCMP.

"Road conditions, inclement weather and limited communication at this remote location posed challenges to the response to this collision," he said.

The RCMP say their investigation is ongoing. The BC Coroner Service and an RCMP Traffic Analyst are also working on concurrent investigations.