Korean vacation Nanaimo couple visits country under scrutiny. Page 7 Riding profile Meet candidates running for MLA in Nanaimo. Page 11 Born to sing Kiran Ahluwalia performs at the Port Theatre Friday. Page 3
Baseball blowouts Page 27
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TUESDAY, APRIL 23, 2013
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Four injured in crash end up in hospital
Fire cause suspected as arson Police in Nanaimo are investigating a car fire allegedly sparked by an act of arson. The blaze happened on the 3400 block of Arrowsmith Road in the Rock City area of central Nanaimo about 7:30 a.m. Saturday. “Why do we say it’s probably arson? Because there was a lit rag in the gas tank,” said Const. Gary O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman. O’Brien said the investigation is in its early stages and police are looking at one potential suspect, a Caucasian man in his early 30s who has a connection to the car and who was allegedly involved in several other crimes around the time of the fire. The car has been impounded by police for further forensic investigation. Anyone with any information concerning this case is asked to call Nanaimo RCMP at 250-7542345 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-2228477 or online at www.nanaimocrime stoppers.com.
VOL. 24, NO. 152
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police allege alcohol a factor in Saturday incident. By ChRis Bush ThE NEwS BULLETIN
JENN McGARRIGLE/ThE NEws BuLLETIN
Ready to ride
Megan Nuñez-Delgado helps her two-year-old son, Diego, navigate the dips and rolls on Fine china, the Nanaimo area’s first provincially approved mountain bike-specific trail, on his run bike. The Nanaimo Mountain Bike club, which built the trail and is responsible for managing it, opened the first section, a 900-metre downhill track filled with berms, rollers and table tops, on Sunday. about 70 people attended the grand opening party.
Police in Nanaimo say they believe alcohol played a role in a collision that sent four people to hospital on the weekend. The crash happened shortly before 2 a.m. Saturday when Nanaimo RCMP detachment received several 911 calls about a serious accident involving multiple victims at 454 Park Ave. in south Nanaimo. A grey Ford F-150 pickup went off the road, struck a tree, a retaining wall, a fence and an outbuilding before it rolled and came to rest upside down on its roof. Two passengers were removed from the truck by neighbours who heard the crash, but firefighters had to use the Jaws of Life to extricate the driver and a third passenger. All four victims were taken to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, but the driver was transferred by air ambulance to Victoria General Hospital for treatment.
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a lot depends on what comes from the witness statements ...
Police had no update on the conditions of the driver and passengers before deadline Monday morning. Alcohol is alleged to be a contributing factor in the crash and a collision reconstructionist is helping Nanaimo RCMP’s Municipal Traffic Section with the investigation. Const. Gar y O’Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesman, said charges are likely pending against the driver. “The charges that could be pending, if it’s proven that alcohol was a predominant factor, could be impaired driving causing injury or dangerous driving,” O’Brien said. “A lot depends on what comes from the witness statements, from the traffic reconstructionist, the speed of the vehicle – taking everything into consideration.” photos@nanaimobulletin.com
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