A 24-year-old Campbell River man has died following a single vehicle motor vehicle incident just north of town Monday morning, according to the RCMP.
The man, Lance Henry Eckford, was driving a blue pickup truck southbound on Highway 19 south of Roberts Lake near Campbell River when the vehicle crossed the centre line and went into the far ditch. Eckford's body was found at the scene some time later after a passing driver called authorities. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Because there were no witnesses to the incident, police don’t know exactly when or how the accident occurred, but speed is being considered as a factor.
Const. Dave Dormuth told CTV News it appears the now-deceased driver was not wearing a seatbelt.
“We found the seat belts in the vehicle in the retracted position, (with) no indication they were on at the time of the collision,” Dormuth said.
The investigation is ongoing.