Police investigating suspicious death on Highway 19 near Parksville

VANCOUVER -- Mounties and collision reconstruction experts are investigating what they call a "suspicious death" on a Vancouver Island highway.

A woman in her 20s was found dead on the median of Highway 19 near Parksville Saturday morning, Oceanside RCMP said in a news release.

Though they did not specify in their release that the woman was struck by a vehicle, police did describe the incident as a "collision" and asked anyone with dash cam video from the scene to call E Division Traffic Services, Central Island, at 250-954-2953.

Highway 19 was closed in both directions for hours Saturday as police investigated.

DriveBC tweeted shortly after 8 a.m. that the highway had been closed, and did not post about its reopening until after 2:30 p.m.

OPEN - #BCHwy19 is now open in #Parksville after an ongoing police incident. Expect delays to remain due to congestion in the area #VanIsle

— DriveBC (@DriveBC) October 10, 2020

According to DriveBC, the road was closed between Corcan Road and the Parksville exit for Highway 19A, a 9.1-kilometre stretch.

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  Highway 19 was deserted near the Parksville exit Saturday morning after a police incident shut down a 9.1-kilometre stretch of the roadway in both directions. (DriveBC)