A Port Alberni man is dead, and two women are in Victoria hospital, after Wednesday nightB次元官网网址檚 head-on collision along an unguarded stretch of Malahat Drive, police say.

Malahat fire chief Rob Patterson B次元官网网址� whose crew was helped by Mill BayB次元官网网址檚 members B次元官网网址� said the soggy commuter turnpike near Split Rock was closed and rerouted for about five hours by the 5 p.m. wreck that left a car teetering on a concrete barrier bordering a dark cliff.

The tragedyB次元官网网址檚 cause could have been a medical condition, police say.

B次元官网网址淥ne vehicle was northbound, and one vehicle was southbound B次元官网网址� someone crossed the line,B次元官网网址� Patterson said, calling for barriers to prevent more crashes on the B次元官网网址楬at.

WednesdayB次元官网网址檚 wreck saw a southbound Toyota Sienna van cross the centre line, swiping a northbound Dodge Caravan, cops said.

The Sienna then hit, head-on, a northbound Honda Accord driven by a 58-year-old Crofton female.

She was pinned in the car left perched near the cliff.

The SiennaB次元官网网址檚 76-year-old male was  extricated by firefighters, but he died in hospital. His injured wife was expected to be released from hospital Thursday, RCMP said.

Shawnigan Lake RCMP Sgt. Rob Webb said the Crofton woman suffered multiple fractures and is in serious but stable condition.

Patterson said she sustained severe leg injuries inside her demolished Honda. SheB次元官网网址檇 likely be dead if fire crews hadnB次元官网网址檛 balanced the sedan to keep it from plunging 100 metres while gingerly freeing what the veteran chief called the B次元官网网址渘on-responsiveB次元官网网址� woman.

B次元官网网址淚t was too close. ItB次元官网网址檚 a steep, 50-degree slope with rocks and trees,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t would not have been pretty.B次元官网网址�

It took firefighters wielding the Jaws of Life an hour or more to extricate her by B次元官网网址渘ibbling awayB次元官网网址� at parts of the Accord.

The now-deceased male driver of the nearby Sienna suffered what Patterson described as B次元官网网址渟eriousB次元官网网址� lower-extremity injuries.

B次元官网网址淗e was our number-one priority,B次元官网网址� he said of the Alberni senior.

His wife was dazed but B次元官网网址渢alkativeB次元官网网址� at the scene, said Patterson.

Meanwhile, scores of north- and south-bound vehicles braved narrow, winding South Shawnigan Road around the stretch of highway blacktop blocked by fire crews.

The deadly incident left Patterson demanding completed Malahat centre medians.

B次元官网网址淚t just irks me,B次元官网网址� he said, shaking his head at rock-snagging wire being hung along the B次元官网网址楬atB次元官网网址檚 sheer walls.

B次元官网网址淔ifteen years here, and IB次元官网网址檝e never had a rock land on a car, but weB次元官网网址檝e done hundreds of vehicle extrications.B次元官网网址� Crash witnesses are asked to call Shawnigan Lake RCMP at 250-743-5514.