Nanaimo crash leaves pedestrian with life-threatening injuries, RCMP say

Lights on a police cruiser are pictured in this file photo.

A woman in her 50s was airlifted to hospital in Victoria after being hit by a car in Nanaimo Tuesday night.

Mounties said the collision occurred around 11:15 p.m. in the 200 block of Nicol Street, which is the name given to Highway 1 south of the city's downtown core.

Nanaimo RCMP said in a news release Wednesday that the victim was attempting to cross the four-lane road in an area where there is no designated crosswalk.

The driver who hit her, a man in his 40s, remained at the scene, police said, adding that drugs and alcohol have been "ruled out as contributing factors on the part of the driver."

Police, paramedics and firefighters all responded to the scene, and the woman was taken to hospital in Nanaimo with life-threatening injuries, according to RCMP. She was later flown to Victoria for further treatment.

The collision happened outside MGM Restaurant as the driver was southbound on Nicol Street, police said.

"Investigators noted that it was raining at the time and the victim was wearing dark, non-reflective clothing," the RCMP release reads.

The road was closed for more than three hours while investigators were on scene, police said, adding that the driver's vehicle – a Toyota Prius – was "seized for investigative purposes and later released."

Police said anyone with dash cam video or eyewitness evidence from the area at the time of the collision should call the Nanaimo RCMP non-emergency line at 250-754-2345.