Oak Bay worker killed on the job identified; police investigating 'evidence of erratic driving'
A municipal worker who was struck and killed while on the job in Oak Bay on Wednesday morning has been identified.
Steve Seekins, a 52-year-old married father of two young children, was inspecting a manhole cover with a public works crew on the sidewalk of Monterey Avenue around 8 a.m. when a black Mercedes SUV barreled toward him.
Steve Seekins is pictured. (District of Oak Bay)The vehicle was "travelling at a high rate of speed," Oak Bay police Chief Mark Fisher told Victoria radio station CFAX 1070 on Thursday.
The SUV "crossed both lanes of traffic and struck Mr. Seekins from behind, causing him to go airborne," Fisher said.
Seekins was thrown into the park on the west side of the 1700-block of Monterey Avenue, across from the Oak Bay fire and police department buildings.
He was pronounced dead at the scene while the driver of the SUV, which had crashed into a tree, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, where she remained Wednesday night.
Oak Bay police, with the assistance of a Saanich police detective, are now canvassing the area in search of witness accounts and video of the vehicle before the crash.
Witnesses told CTV News they saw a vehicle speeding down Monterey Avenue, weaving into oncoming lanes and narrowly missing a child on a bicycle just before the fatal collision.
The vehicle eventually struck a tree in the park, next to Bowker Creek. (CTV News)
"There was evidence of erratic driving just prior to this incident," Fisher said, adding the cause of the crash is still under investigation.
WorkSafeBC has launched its own investigation into the incident.
Colleagues of Seekins have started a fundraiser to support his family. The campaign had raised more than $25,000 by Thursday morning.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Foreign meddling 'did not affect' overall federal election results: inquiry report
Foreign interference by China did not affect the overall results of the 2019 and 2021 general elections won by Justin Trudeau's Liberals, a federal commission of inquiry has found.
BREAKING Police arrest 3 in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Why your airfare may be getting more expensive
Skyrocketing airfare prices are linked to heightened competition and rising food and fuel, according to the CAA.
WATCH LIVE Funeral today for broadcasting legend and voice of 'Hockey Night in Canada' Bob Cole
A funeral is being held today for hockey broadcasting legend Bob Cole in his hometown of St. John's, N.L.
Magnitude 4.8 earthquake recorded west of Vancouver Island
A 4.8-magnitude earthquake was reported west of Vancouver Island Thursday evening.
Who is Hope Hicks, longtime Trump aide who is testifying in N.Y. hush money case?
Hope Hicks, once a longtime trusted aide in Donald Trump’s inner circle, is testifying Friday in the New York hush money trial after being subpoenaed.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto incident caught on video
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
How falling for a stranger she met on a beach led this woman to ditch the U.S. for the French Riviera
Niki Benjamin, from the U.S., had travelled to a paradise island to do some soul searching, and her life ended up going in a very different direction when her dog ran up to a stranger.