Police investigating fatal collision on Highway 19 near Nanoose Bay

Police on Vancouver Island are investigating a second fatal collision within the past 24 hours.

RCMP are investigating a fatal collision on Highway 19 near Nanoose Bay, just southeast of Parksville that occurred early this morning. 

At around 7 a.m. on Friday, January 3rd, Oceanside RCMP received a report of a serious collision and are currently still on the scene. 

BC Highway Patrol is leading the investigation and collaborating with local police, BC Emergency Health Services as well as the BC Coroners Service. 

While the scene is processed as part of this investigation, major traffic delays can be expected on Highway 19 in both directions. 

Traffic has been reduced to one lane in each direction. 

DriveBC will be providing updates to traffic conditions caused by this fatality throughout the day, while BC Highway Patrol is expected to share more information later today.

The identity of the deceased and the circumstances which led to their death have not been made available at this time. 

Another fatal collision occurred on Thursday afternoon, in which a 63-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene of a two-vehicle collision on Sooke Road. 

The cause of that crash also remains under investigation.