Fatal accident on Bamfield road a Deli?

[zissou]

Sad news....

http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolo ... 4b617c2772

Van driver dies in crash south of Port Alberni
Julia Caranci, Canwest News Service
Published: Tuesday, July 15, 2008
PORT ALBERNI -- A 27-year-old woman is dead following a single vehicle accident on Bamfield Road over the weekend.

Port Alberni RCMP found the woman -- the only occupant of a 1992 Mitsubishi right-hand drive -- Sunday evening after receiving a report from a tow-truck driver. The driver was out on an unrelated incident and observed the lights of the vehicle over the embankment sometime after the accident, approximately 23 kilometres south of Port Alberni.

Port Alberni RCMP Staff Sgt. Lee Omilusik said it appears that the woman lost control of the vehicle and skidded off the left side of the roadway, hitting a tree that landed on the roof of the right side of the vehicle.

Following that impact, police say the van continued down a five-metre embankment, landing on its left side.

Omilusik said it remains unclear how long after the accident occurred that the victim was discovered, although reports suggest the van's engine was still running.

An investigation has been launched into the accident but police have already said alcohol was not a factor.

The name of the deceased was not released pending notification of next of kin.

JCaranci@avtimes.net

[MardyDelica]

Tragic,
My condolense to her & her family.

[Jester]

It's tragic, yet inevitable.
Although I think overall survivability of a Deli driver is higher than most other vehicles(due to the van's design as well as the kind of drivers that buy them), as the numbers of vans go up, so will the crashes.
Let's do our best to make this unfortunate lady an exception to the rule.

Also, I couldn't help noticing that "the engine was still running"

Martin

[sahdot]

Oh crap!

Sad news indeed; even more so if it's someone from this forum.

[Todd64]

Whoa that's pretty sad.

"the only occupant of a 1992 Mitsubishi right-hand drive"

I like how they got that part into the story.

[mararmeisto]

..."the only occupant of a 1992 Mitsubishi right-hand drive"

I like how they got that part into the story.

Isn't Tim's Communist one of the mouthpieces for ICBC?

Regardless, it is sad that someone has met their end in one of these vans (if such is the case). As one of the others posted, it is only a matter of odds/numbers, but somehow that knowledge is cold comfort. I wish her family well in their time of grief.

[konadog]

Grim. Another reminder of just how dangerous this driving business is - No matter WHAT one is driving! Really sad

[stubblebut]

Our hearts go out to her friends and family.

-Dan & Jenn

[sahdot]

Update:

http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/25493284.html

RCMP have released the name of the woman who was killed in a car accident on Bamfield Road.

Nanoose Bay resident Natailie Dawn Lutz, 27, died after her car went over an embankment on Bamfield Road, 24 kilometres south of Port Alberni on Sunday.

Lutz was alone, and was already deceased in the vehicle - described as a righthand drive 1992 Mitsubishi van - on Sunday when emergency personnel arrived.

RCMP and the B.C. Coroners Service are investigating the cause of the accident.

Police initally speculated that Lutz lost control of the vehicle and skidded off the left side of the roadway, hitting a tree, noted an earlier poilice statement

[jaggedfish]

Any time someone loses their life in an accident is sad. Sometimes that is the better alternative depending on the nature of the injuries. My heart goes out to her family and friends.

Now, I don't think we should turn this family's loss into something it's not and automatically presume that because a reporter noted that this was a right hand drive vehicle that ICBC will turn this into a witch hunt on all RHD's. The fact that most don't know what a "Delica" is, is probably the reason... more people would identify with "one of those right hand drive vans". Let's keep our heads screwed on straight until we are given reason (beyond the past) to think otherwise and deal with it outside of the family circle as they have enough to deal with (especially if they know of this site). It would be easy to make the jump and point the finger and say "because this poor girl crashed her van, we are no longer allowed to have RHD vehicles", and THAT wouldn't be fair.

And... yes... duly noted on the engine still running... wasn't sure which was more impressive, the fact that it WAS running after the crash (ie durability) or the fact that no one knew how long she had been there (ie fuel economy).

A terrible thing... here's hoping some good comes of it in some form.

[docsavage]

Interesting to note that when I follow Sahdot's link, there is a list of top stories at the bottom of the article. 4 of the 9 listed are auto accidents involving fatalities. Driving is dangerous as others have noticed. I don't think this article is intended to make a case against RHD's.


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Also, when mine tipped over on the side, the engine continued to run until I remembered to turn it off (30 or so seconds). When I restarted it a couple of weeks later, it started easy. If you do tip a vehicle over, best not to restart it immediately after righting, as the oil and other fluids need time to flow back to where they are supposed to be.

james

James

[Jonny5ive]

That is sad.

Not sure if this is the best place to voice this but a close friend of mine has been getting on my case a little because of my interest in RHD vehicles. My friend is an avid cyclist and has complained to me about the amount of times he has almost been hit by RHD vehicles (mostly Delicas) as they pull out onto the street while riding his bike. Now my friend is not against RHD, in fact our company has an SCargo and my friend is an ex-owner of a Westy, and likes Delicas.

His concern is something that I think is worth mentioning. I am a former Bike Messenger and I have been hit by many cars... (super-dave style) none of which were RHD's as they weren't as common in Calgary back in the day. So I guess I just want to caution all of us to be extra aware of cyclists, particularly if you drive a RHD. For both safety and PR as I know most of us believe in alternative forms of transport. These issues can quickly make there way into the press and that's all we need.

BTW I live in Victoria and so does my friend.

Cheers,

My thoughts go out to her family.

[Green1]

He should be glad they weren't LHD... RHD is much MUCH safer when passing cyclists as you have a much better view of exactly where they are in relation to the side of your vehicle. when pulling out in to the road, I know I can certainly see much better from the right side of the Delica than from the left side of my work van, or from my old mercedes. the large windows and amazing mirrors combine to make for visibility that no north american vehicle can come close to matching.

[Jonny5ive]

Good point, being on the right has it's advantages for sure. Being on the same side as the curb/sidewalk in case you have curb jumpers or passing cyclists. But I guess his point has to do with pulling out from the curb. My friend is a straight forward guy and his issue is a valid one. I think it is something we can all just be a little more cautious of.

My thoughts anyway.

[The Pinkfingers]

Good point, being on the right has it's advantages for sure. Being on the same side as the curb/sidewalk in case you have curb jumpers or passing cyclists. But I guess his point has to do with pulling out from the curb. My friend is a straight forward guy and his issue is a valid one. I think it is something we can all just be a little more cautious of.

My thoughts anyway.

Agreed.

We should be more careful of cyclists no matter what hand drive we are in.