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
Cisco reveals security breach, warns of state-sponsored spy campaign
State-sponsored actors targeted security devices used by governments around the world, according to technology firm Cisco Systems, which said the network devices are coveted intrusion points by spies.
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 'oesn't get' the global phenomenom.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Student anti-war protesters dig in as faculties condemn university leadership over calling police
Students protesting the Israel-Hamas war at at universities across U.S., some of whom have clashed with police in riot gear, dug in Saturday and vowed to keep their demonstrations going, while several school faculties condemned university presidents who have called in law enforcement to remove protesters.
'Do I ghost her again?': Quebec minister's office ignores questions on housing as a human right
The office of Quebec Housing Minister France-Élaine Duranceau prefers to openly ignore journalists' requests.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
opinion RFK Jr.'s presidential candidacy and its potential threat to Biden and Trump
Although it's still unclear how much damage Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s candidacy can do to either Joe Biden or Donald Trump this election, Washington political columnist Eric Ham says what is clear is both sides recognize the potential threat.