Times Colonist E-edition

Rollovers trigger traffic chaos on Blanshard and Burnside

A truck travelling north on Blanshard Street crossed the grassy median and struck a car in the southbound lanes around 12:30 p.m. Thursday.

The pickup landed on its roof just before the intersection at Bay Street.

A severely damaged black Toyota Yaris was on the sidewalk outside the Wendy’s restaurant. The occupants of both vehicles were taken to hospital but Victoria police had no information on the severity of their injuries.

Nearby resident Angela Bording didn’t see the crash but went to the scene after hearing sirens “for five minutes straight.” She arrived as officers began sealing off the busy intersection with yellow crime-scene tape.

People who witnessed the crash told Bording that two people were extricated from the truck and quickly taken to hospital. The woman driving the Yaris appeared unhurt, she said.

An Island Farms employee said he’d seen the grey truck airborne before it crossed the median and rolled. The truck hit one of the trees on the median. Debris was spread over the southbound lanes.

Both Bay and Blanshard streets were shut down for several blocks in both directions, causing traffic chaos in the downtown core. Traffic on both Quadra Street and Cook Street was gridlocked as a result of the closure.

Saanich police were also busy Thursday afternoon dealing with a rollover that closed Burnside Road West at Interurban Road in both directions.

Saanich police asked the public to avoid the area.

At approximately 2:30 p.m., the driver of a Dodge Charger heading west on the TransCanada Highway veered offroad at the overpass on Burnside Road West, said Const. Markus Anastasiades.

“The vehicle then travelled down the embankment, rolled onto its hood, and slid across to the sidewalk on Burnside Road West,” he said.

“Miraculously, no other vehicles were involved.”

Police have ruled out alcohol and speed as potential contributing factors and are looking at it as a mechanical issue, Anastasiades said, adding that it was likely a steering component that caused the vehicle to leave the roadway.

The driver of the vehicle sustained significant but nonlife-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital, he said.

THE CAPITAL AND VANCOUVER ISLAND

en-ca

2023-06-09T07:00:00.0000000Z

2023-06-09T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://digitaltimescolonist.pressreader.com/article/281556590226373

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