Police believe alcohol was a factor in a head-on crash on the Malahat that killed one person and sent two others to hospital Saturday afternoon.

West Shore RCMP say the male driver of the southbound vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene, while his female passenger went to hospital with serious injuries.

They say the female driver of the other vehicle was also transported to hospital with injuries and investigators are gathering evidence regarding the level of her alleged impairment.

They are also collecting witness testimony and the collision analyst unit is reviewing driving evidence.