A motorcyclist was seriously injured Friday morning before 9:30 a.m. after they struck a car that was turning left off the Pat Bay Highway onto Keating Cross Road in Central Saanich.
Corporal Dan Cottingham said the driver of the car apparently hesitated as they were turning off the highway, and the motorcycle struck the car broadside. Cottingham said the driver of the bike was sent over the top of the vehicle, something probably saved his life.
"He was conscious and talking," said Cottingham, "but he was taken to hospital with serious injuries, possibly back and pelvis injuries."
Cottingham said the driver of the car was inexperienced and may have been a contributing factor in the crash.
This intersection and a nearby turn off the highway onto East Saanich Road have seen their share of serious and even fatal crashes. Cottingham said that in his experience, driver inattention, inexperience and often elderly drivers have played a role in some of those incidents.
Traffic heading south into Victoria from the Saanich was affected for a few hours as police investigated the incident. Vehicles took a detour at Island View Road, onto East Saanich Road and through Central Saanich.