A 17-year-old who died after being struck by a semi-trailer truck on the Trans-Canada Highway in Duncan on Tuesday was a Grade 12 student at Quw’ustun High School, the Cowichan School District has confirmed.
The young woman’s name has not been released.
North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP responded to a collision at Trunk Road about 8:40 p.m. Tuesday.
Evidence gathered at the scene indicates that the semi-truck was travelling southbound on the Trans-Canada when it hit the youth, said police.
The pedestrian was transported to hospital but succumbed to her injuries.
The Cowichan School District said classes were held as scheduled on Wednesday and there was counselling available for students and staff.
“It’s been a very sad day at the school,” said a spokesperson for the district.
Cowichan Tribes Chief Cindy Daniels confirmed the teen was a member of the First Nation and said the entire community is in mourning.
She noted Tuesday’s death marked the second time in just over a year that a teen had been killed while walking along the busy highway.
Leeann Joe, 17, was killed by a hit-and-run driver on April 18, 2024, as she walked along the Trans-Canada Highway between Sherman and Green roads. She was found dead at the scene. A Cowichan Valley man was charged six months later after what police called a “complex investigation.”
“It is heartbreaking for our community to experience another Cowichan youth being fatally injured as a pedestrian in our community,” Daniels said.
The chief said the deaths underline the challenges pedestrians face in the area.
“For many of our people, walking is their primary way to get to and from their daily activities,” she said. “With vehicle traffic continuing to increase, we continue to need safer options for pedestrians through the highway corridor.”
Police said a traffic reconstruction specialist was on site to conduct a comprehensive examination and collect evidence.
“Part of the investigation will be to determine the actions of the pedestrian and the semi-truck prior to the collision,” said Cpl. Alex Bérubé, spokesperson for the RCMP, in a statement.
“However, at this point in the investigation, criminality is not a factor in this incident.”
Daniels said she extends her condolences to the young woman’s family members, friends, peers and teachers as they grieve the latest loss.
“Our cultural workers within the community are supporting the family and our counselling teams have been providing outreach to students and youth during this tragedy,” said Daniels.
Trunk Road at the highway has the most vehicle crashes involving pedestrians of any intersection in Duncan, according to data from IC小蓝视频. There were 10 collisions from 2018 to 2022, making it one of the most dangerous intersections for pedestrians on Vancouver Island.
The Duncan-North Cowichan highway corridor has seen a spate of pedestrian incidents over the past few months.
In late March, a 32-year-old Duncan man was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after being struck by a tractor trailer while trying to cross the highway near Beverly Street.
On April 9, two pedestrians were rushed to hospital — one in critical condition — after being struck by a vehicle on the Trans-Canada between York Road and Beverley Street. In that incident, an off-duty police officer was driving the vehicle and is now the subject of an investigation by the civilian oversight agency for police in the province.
Plans for a pedestrian overpass between Beverly Street and James Street and York Road have been put on hold to secure funding, according to the province. It will instead build a raised centre median and direct pedestrians to signalled crosswalks.
Police ask anyone with information on Tuesday’s incident to contact the North Cowichan/Duncan RCMP at 250-748-5522.
