Two pickups collided at the entrance to Discovery Pier, sending one of them into the water this afternoon.
At approximately 1 p.m., according to Const. Wise of the Campbell River RCMP, a collision occurred at the entrance to Fisherman’s Wharf/Discovery Pier between a pickup truck exiting the parking lot and another traveling northbound on Highway 19a, causing the driver of the northbound vehicle to lose control and requiring a vehicle recovery from the Strait of Georgia.
“The single occupant of the vehicle made it out by herself, with help from a few bystanders who hopped into the water immediately,” said Wise.
The occupant was treated by paramedics on scene for precautionary reasons.
Gregory Wray Earl was walking southbound on the east sidewalk of the highway – the one the truck crossed on its way to the water – as the incident happened.
“It was coming straight towards me, and all of a sudden it veered off over the bank,” he said. “If I would have been 15 steps further [up the sidewalk] I’d be on that grill and dead.”
Wharf manager Phyllis Titus said that there were booms immediately set out to contain any leaks from the vehicle, so there would be “no environmental impact,” due to leakage from the submerged vehicle.
“I’ve been here 13 years and never seen something like this,” she said, adding that she was glad that there were no injuries.
“It’s just a truck in the water,” she said, as they awaited a dive team to begin the recovery of the vehicle.
Watch campbellrivermirror.com for more information as it becomes available and in Friday’s edition of the Campbell River Mirror.