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Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Three dead in horriÄc crash on rain-soaked Malahat Five others injured: Rescue crews shaken in what fire chief calls worst incident he’s ever attended Peter W. Rusland
News Leader Pictorial
T
hree females were killed, and ¿ve people were injured after what may be Cowichan’s worst traf¿c accident in years. A shaken Rob Patterson, chief of Malahat’s Volunteer Fire Hall, said the triple-tragedy happened at about 11:30 a.m. Sunday during a twovehicle cross-over crash along a non-median section of the Malahat Drive near Whittaker Road. The head-on crash saw a southbound Honda SUV, containing ¿ve people, cross the centre line and hit a northbound Chev pick-up truck holding three passengers. Dead are Nanaimo’s Pheat Top, 30, Diane Muriel Lacasca Bocacao, 19 and Gene Kloie Resu Jamisola, 16, while the wreck’s exact cause was still under investigation. “It’s the worst (fatality) I’ve ever attended,” said Patterson. The rain-soaked highway reopened at about 5:30 p.m. after being closed in both directions for some six hours as police re-routed traf¿c along Shawnigan Lake Road, A six-year-old south-end. girl is described “The driver of the as a miracle for Honda SUV surviving this was killed, as well as horri¿c crash the female front passenger, and the female in the rear passenger seat who was ejected from the car,” Shawnigan Lake RCMP Sgt. Rob Webb says in a media release. “A 20-year-old male was also ejected and taken to Victoria General Hospital with life-threatening
Webb
A tow-truck operator prepares to remove the wreckage of a vehicle torn in half in a tragic crash on the Malahat Sunday. injuries. He remains there in critical condition. A six-year-old girl, who was wearing her seatbelt, is described as a miracle for surviving this horri¿c crash.” Passengers, all adults, from the 2003 pickup truck were treated at hospital and released, Webb says. Patterson and his crew awaited the coroner to con¿rm the three deaths before two bodies were removed from the totalled 1997 Honda SUV. The injured girl from the Honda, plus a passenger from the 2003 brown pick-up, were airlifted by medivac helicopter to Victoria hospital.
The male ejected from the Honda was taken by ambulance to Victoria hospital, chief Patterson explained of the wreck at what he called NASCAR Corner — near where Whittaker, leading to the former Aerie luxury resort, reaches the highway. “It’s very much a high-speed crash at NASCAR Corner. The Chevy driver put his truck in the ditch to avoid the oncoming (Honda) vehicle, but was unsuccessful. “The Honda SUV four-door was torn in half when it crossed the line and hit the truck.” That happened just north of Whittaker where the highway nar-
rows into one lane “and everyone jockeys for position to get ahead of people,” he described. First responders — including the lead Malahat hall, and back-up crews from Mill Bay’s hall — plus police and paramedics attended the tragedy that closed the busy highway. Two sets of Jaws of Life were used to remove people from the mangled wreckage that disturbed of¿cials present, including Patterson’s members who were to discuss trauma counselling Monday. “Most people have never seen anything like this,” the veteran chief
courtesy Malahat Fire Rescue
said after dealing with Sunday’s carnage. “This is the worst we’ve had. “It’s a dif¿cult job, but it’s what we’re trained to do. “You have to put it into perspective. We’re there to help,” he said, praising his crew, and Mill Bay’s volunteer ¿re¿ghters. “I’m so thankful for the crew I have; they’re second to none. “And my God, (Mill Bay members) they’re absolutely professional — it’s an incredible brotherhood we’re part of.” Witnesses can call the Shawnigan Lake RCMP at 250-743-5514.
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