RCMP investigating after 19-year-old killed in Vancouver Island crash

An RCMP patch is seen on the shoulder of an assistant commissioner, in Surrey, B.C., on Friday, April 28, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Mounties are investigation after a 19-year-old driver was killed in a crash on Vancouver Island on Monday night.

Police were called to the single-vehicle crash scene near the Nanaimo airport shortly after 10:30 p.m.

The collision occurred in the southbound lanes of the Trans-Canada Highway, south of Aqua Terra Road, between Ladysmith and Nanaimo.

In a news release Tuesday, the Ladysmith RCMP said the 19-year-old man was the lone occupant of a Nissan 350Z and he was pronounced dead at the scene despite life-saving efforts from first responders.

The Trans-Canada Highway was closed for several hours overnight as investigators analyzed the crash scene and gathered evidence.

"The cause of the collision remains under investigation," the RCMP release said.

Anyone with information related to the fatal collision is asked to contact the Ladysmith RCMP at 250-245-6060.