WATCH: A Saanich crash on Shelbourne and McCrae claimed the life of a female motorcyclist. Monica Martinez reports.
Paramedics and police rushed to the scene of a fatal crash Wednesday morning at Shelbourne and McCrae.
An SUV and motorcycle collided at the intersection throwing the rider off her bike and into a telephone pole.
“Right now we are dealing with a fatality. Unfortunately, the driver of the motorcycle has passed away,” said Saanich Police Sgt. Jereme Leslie.
She was 34-years-old and living in Greater Victoria. Police said the SUV was turning left onto McCrae and the motorcyclist was continuing straight on Shelbourne when they collided.
“We don’t know if speed or driver error is a factor. We are asking witnesses to come forward,” Leslie said.
The SUV driver was not injured and is cooperating with police. He told CHEK News he didn’t see anyone coming towards him.
This is the latest in a string of fatalities involving motorcyclists.
This year alone, there have been 31 deaths in B.C. involving motorcyclists, five of those have been on Vancouver Island.
Just last weekend in Lantzville, a motorcyclist lost control and drove off the road. He was pronounced dead on the scene.
In July in Campbell River, another rider died when a car turned left onto its path.
The Vancouver Island Safety Council trains hundreds of motorbike riders every year. The executive director said one of the biggest issues is drivers often don’t see the riders.
“The things we really strive in our training is proper lane positions to put yourself out where you can be more visible, not following vehicles too closely, and if you can’t see through something, people can’t see you either. So look far enough ahead to see potential hazards,” said Bill Laughlin.
Police said it’s too early to say if any charges will be laid against the driver.
The intersection of Shelbourne and McCrae was shut down for about three hours to allow crash analysts to conduct their investigation.
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