A 31-year-old Sunshine Coast man is lucky to be alive according to police after a serious accident early Saturday morning.
Police say just after 2 a.m. the man was travelling northbound on Highway 101 in Roberts Creek, when he lost control of his 1982 Ford pick-up truck and slammed into a telephone poll.
"Speed and alcohol are being investigated as factors in the accident," said Cpl. Kris Josephson, adding as of Wednesday morning no charges against the driver had been laid yet.
"It's remarkable that he survived. Witnesses reported a loud crash and the vehicle exploded on impact. There was debris strewn all over the road. All that was left of the truck was the frame."
The man was airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital for treatment of serious but non-life-threatening injuries. An update on his condition was not known at press time Thursday afternoon.
Due to the serious nature of the accident, Highway 101 was closed until just before 1 p.m. Saturday afternoon. Traffic was diverted along Lower Road.
Police conducted a search of the accident scene Saturday morning when the driver indicated passengers were inside the vehicle. It was later determined that the man had dropped off his passengers before getting into the accident. Until police could confirm this information, however, a dog team was brought in from the Lower Mainland as well as a traffic analyst to continue the search and conduct the accident investigation.
Saturday's accident was the third serious incident in the same general area of Highway 101 in the past few weeks.
Police are still investigating a fatal accident that claimed the life of a Roberts Creek woman on Feb. 9 and are also investigating a five-car accident that occurred on Feb. 19 that sent a 60-year-old woman to hospital in Vancouver with serious injuries. A 63-year-old man is being investigated for possible impaired driving in the Feb. 19 accident.
