Oceanside RCMP are still tallying up the vehicle casualties from Friday night when snow and dipping temperatures contributed to multiple crashes happening all at the same time in the Nanoose Hill area.
"There was a quick drop in temperatures on Friday night and that lead to moisture that was on the roads freezing and people didn’t slow down so they went into the ditch and they crashed," said Sgt. Steve Rose.
An RCMP cruiser that had responded to a crash was also rear-ended, resulting in both the police officer and another driver being transported to hospital for assessment.
Rose says neither one ended up having substantial injuries but the cruiser is now a write-off.
Rose says that between 7-10 vehicles either collided with each other or went into ditches, and driver speeds were definitely a factor.
"Road and weather conditions can change fairly quickly and their speed should be adjusted accordingly to avoid crashes," he said.
He also noted that during a drive in his personal vehicle yesterday from Courtenay to Parksville he was passed several times in what he describes as "near white-out conditions."
"People just don’t slow down," said Rose. "They think they have a four-wheel drive or they’re in a pick-up truck and they just keep on trucking and the reality is you can’t."
