A fatal accident closed the Malahat Highway Wednesday morning, and stranded countless drivers who had no way to get through the area.
A 33-year-old Saanich man was killed and three others were taken to hospital following the three-vehicle crash, which happened at around 7 a.m.
The crash closed a 17-kilometre stretch of highway in both directions from Goldstream Park to Shawnigan Lake Road for several hours.
With no detour, drivers were forced to either turn back or wait in traffic as police probed the scene.
RCMP traffic analysts and the BC Coroners Service remained on scene for several hours investigating the crash, and the route was finally reopened just after noon.
Malahat Fire Chief Rob Patterson said it appeared the Saanich man was driving northbound when a truck crossed the centre line in a stretch of highway without a median.
The truck then slammed into a black Mazda, killing the driver inside, before colliding with a blue Hyundai.
“Had there been a barrier this accident would not have happened,” Patterson said.
Transportation Minister Todd Stone said in a news conference he was “very saddened” to hear of the death.
He confirmed that a median would be installed on a five-kilometre stretch of highway where the crash occurred, linking two existing highway medians.
He said medians now cover half of the Malahat corridor.
“The corridor is much safer today than it was five years ago, ten years ago,” Stone said. “That’s small comfort to those involved in the incident this morning, and that’s why we have to continue to invest.”
The government says planning and design of the median should be complete sometime in 2016.
