Youth cyclist dies after crash with truck in Mill Bay

Victoria -

A child is dead after he was struck by a pickup truck that was towing a boat near Mill Bay.

The crash occurred just after 6:30 p.m. Monday at the corner of Benko Road and Kearny Place, according to the Shawnigan Lake RCMP.

Police, paramedics and firefighters rushed to the scene, but the cyclist was pronounced dead soon after first responders arrived.

"This collision remains under investigation, however initial investigation leads us to believe the cyclist failed to stop at the stop sign and made a left (northbound) turn onto Benko Road," said Tim Desaulniers of the Shawnigan Lake RCMP, in a release Thursday.

"The driver of the pickup truck was unable to stop in time, and collided with the cyclist," he said.

A pair of online fundraisers, including one established on behalf of the Mill Bay Nature School, identify the child killed in the crash as 11-year-old Avery Oye.

A spokesperson for the family confirmed the child's identity to CTV News on Thursday. 

“Knowing that there is almost nothing we can do as a community to help shoulder the weight of grief Avery's parents are carrying, we are endeavouring to do whatever we can to support them on their journey and right now that looks like raising funds,” says the GoFundMe page.

A second fundraiser describes Avery as a “greatly creative” boy who “spent his free time building models, painting and drawing, as well as learning to play the cello.”

Shawnigan Lake RCMP, alongside the Vancouver Island Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service, continue to investigate the crash.

Police say victim services have been contacted and that the BC Coroners Service is also conducting its own investigation into the youth's death.

"The driver is cooperating with the investigation, and initially (there) does not appear to be any criminality in this tragic collision," said Desaulniers.