Oak Bay municipal worker struck and killed in crash
A 52-year-old municipal worker and father of two young children is dead after he was struck by a vehicle while inspecting a manhole cover in Oak Bay on Wednesday morning.
Oak Bay police say the crash occurred around 8 a.m. in the 1700-block of Monterey Avenue.
Two of the worker's colleagues tell CTV News the man was in a park across from the Oak Bay fire hall, looking down at the manhole cover, when the northbound vehicle left the roadway and struck him, throwing him several metres.
"Tragically, the man was pronounced deceased at the scene," said Oak Bay police in a release Wednesday.
The vehicle eventually struck a tree in the park, next to Bowker Creek.
The victim had been employed by the municipality for less than a year and was married with young kids, Oak Bay police Chief Mark Fisher said.
Police say the driver of the vehicle, a black SUV, was taken to hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigators have not yet ruled out a medical emergency or intoxication as factors in the crash, Fisher said.
Witnesses tell CTV News they saw a vehicle speeding down Monterey Avenue and across Oak Bay Avenue, weaving into oncoming lanes and narrowly missing a child on a bicycle, before the collision.
Emergency responders in Oak Bay have closed several blocks to traffic after a serious crash Wednesday morning. (CTV News)
Murray Rankin, the MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head and Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation, called the incident a "tragic loss" for the community in a post on his Facebook page.
"Sending my deepest condolences to his loved ones at this time," Rankin said. "We must continue to make roads safer for everyone in our neighbourhoods."
Several blocks of Monterey Avenue, between Cranmore Road and Oak Bay Avenue, were expected to remain closed to traffic for several hours as police investigated the scene.
A section of the street, near the Oak Bay fire hall and police department, remained behind police tape with multiple police officers on scene around noon.
Witnesses tell CTV News they saw a vehicle speeding down Monterey Avenue and across Oak Bay Avenue, weaving into oncoming lanes and narrowly missing a child on a bicycle, before the collision. (CTV News)
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has dashcam video is asked to contact Saanich police, who are assisting with the investigation, at media@saanichpolice.ca.
WorkSafeBC has launched its own investigation into the incident.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
Poilievre says Canadians 'fleeing' to Nicaragua, Liberals say it shows he 'doesn't have a clue'
Liberal parliamentarians are criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre over a new video in which he promotes the idea that some Canadians are 'fleeing' Canada to live in Nicaragua because they can't afford a house in this country.
With DNA break, police ID victim in decades-old Newfoundland case
A skull was found along a backroad near St. John's more than 20 years ago. Now, police have finally identified the victim of the homicide.
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.
Infant dies in ATV crash, N.S. RCMP says alcohol may be a factor
An infant has died and three others, including another child, were taken to hospital following an ATV crash in Forties, N.S., on Monday.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
McDonald's says $18 Big Mac meal was an 'exception' and their prices haven't risen that much
McDonald’s is fighting back against viral tweets and media reports that it says have exaggerated its price increases.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's housing plan defeated in House of Commons
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's housing bill has been defeated in the House of Commons with the Liberals, New Democrats and Bloc Quebecois voting against the legislation.
B.C. man to be extradited to U.S. on charges of sexually assaulting stepdaughter
A British Columbia man will be extradited to the United States, where he faces a possible life sentence if convicted of charges that he repeatedly sexually assaulted his stepdaughter, after losing his appeal of the extradition order Tuesday.