Port Alberni woman killed in motorcycle crash near Qualicum Beach

A 61-year-old woman is dead after a crash involving a car and a motorcycle on Vancouver Island.

The Oceanside RCMP say the Port Alberni woman was a passenger on the back of the motorcycle when it collided with a car at the intersection of Memorial Avenue and the Inland Island Highway near Qualicum Beach on Saturday.

First responders were called to the scene around 4:45 p.m. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene while the driver of the motorcycle and the driver of the car were both taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Investigators say the westbound car was turning left from Memorial Avenue onto the highway when the eastbound motorcycle entered the intersection and was struck.

"Alcohol has been ruled out as a contributing factor and the investigation is ongoing to determine the exact cause of the crash," Oceanside RCMP spokesperson Sgt. Shane Worth said in a statement Wednesday.

The investigation is being led by the Oceanside RCMP, in conjunction with RCMP collision analysts and the B.C. Coroners Service.

The crash was the second fatal motor vehicle incident in the region in as many days.

A 69-year-old Parksville man was killed in a head-on collision when his SUV struck a garbage truck late Friday afternoon.

The Oceanside RCMP say the crash happened on the Alberni Highway at Dunbar Way in Parksville.

The driver and lone occupant of the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver of the garbage truck was not seriously injured, according to police.

"At this time, the initial indications are that the SUV veered into the oncoming lane of the garbage truck and collided head on with the truck," Worth said in a release Saturday.

The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Anyone who witnessed it or has dash cam video is asked to contact the Oceanside RCMP.