COOMBS -- A crash involving a motorcycle and an SUV on the Alberni Highway has left two people who were on the motorcycle with serious injuries.

Both were airlifted to a Victoria hospital, while the driver of the SUV was uninjured.

The accident happened around 2:45 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, when the SUV tried to make a left turn off of Clarke Road and onto the highway. It collided with a motorcycle travelling east on Highway 4.

Traffic was alternating around the crash scene while traffic analysts investigated. The highway was not expected to fully reopen for several hours.

Cause of the crash is still under investigation.

RCMP say they arrested one driver for attempting to drive around the crash scene while emergency personnel were attending to the injured.

This is the second serious crash involving a motorcycle on the mid-Island in the past three days.

A motorcyclist in Nanaimo suffered life-threatening injuries Monday afternoon and was airlifted to Victoria.

Nanaimo RCMP are looking for any witnesses to that crash.