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
Health minister 'deeply appreciative' of doctors but capital gains changes here to stay
Health Minister Mark Holland says while he is 'deeply appreciative' of the work doctors in Canada do, the federal government has no plans to scrap the proposed capital gains tax changes outlined in the latest budget, despite opposition from the Canadian Medical Association.
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
'Of course, yes': Poland latest European country with interest in Canadian LNG
The President of Poland says his country would 'of course' be interested in purchasing Canadian liquefied natural gas if it were available, while the Canadian federal government has said it is 'not interested' in subsidizing future projects.
Passage of harsh anti-2SLGBTQ+ law in Iraq draws diplomatic backlash
Human rights groups and diplomats criticized a law that was quietly passed by the Iraqi parliament over the weekend that would impose heavy prison sentences on gay and transgender people.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
A munitions explosion at a Cambodian army base kills 20 soldiers, but its cause is unclear
Security was tight around a military base in southwestern Cambodia on Sunday, a day after a huge explosion there killed 20 soldiers, wounded others and damaged nearby houses.
What Trudeau's podcast appearances say about the Liberals' next ballot box question
Trudeau recently appeared on four podcasts as he travels the country talking up the Liberals' latest budget, which he's pitching as a plan to inject more economic fairness into society for those under 40 — a cohort that has kept Trudeau in power since 2015 but is increasingly turning to Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre.