A 57-year-old Campbell River man suffered serious injuries in a head-on collision Friday afternoon.
The accident occurred around 4:40 p.m. on the Island Highway, just south of 6th Avenue.
According to Campbell River RCMP, the 57-year-old man was heading north on the highway in a 1990 Chevy pickup, when the truck crossed the centre line and collided head-on with a 1997 Dodge pickup.
The driver of the Dodge, a 59-year-old local man, sustained minor injuries, but the other motorist had to be extricated from the cab by Campbell River firefighters.
“His injuries were further exacerbated by the fact that the truck had loose debris and a tire in the box which smashed into the cab of the pickup as a result of the collision,” said Cpl. Poppy Hallam in a news release.
The man was taken by ambulance to Campbell River Hospital and later airlifted to Victoria General Hospital with suspected internal injuries.
The accident closed the highway for about an hour.
Police say alcohol was not a factor and the investigation is continuing to determine the cause.