The scene of a crash that BC Highway Patrol says happened on Highway 19 near Lantzville, B.C., where a minivan and a Volkswagen Jetta collided head on at around 3 a.m. on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, leaving two people dead, is shown in this handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - BC Highway Patrol (Mandatory Credit)
By The Canadian Press

B.C. teen arrested for impaired driving in fatal crash on Vancouver Island

Aug 27, 2026 | 12:23 PM

NANAIMO — Police say a 16-year-old girl has been arrested for impaired driving after a head-on crash that killed two people on Vancouver Island.

BC Highway Patrol says the Kia minivan she was driving and a Volkswagen Jetta collided along Highway 19 outside Lantzville, B.C., just after 3 a.m. on Thursday.

The two men in the Volkswagen died at the scene, while the girl was taken to hospital with injuries that are not believed to be life-threatening.

Police say the girl, who is from nearby Nanaimo, has been arrested for impaired driving and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death.

Sgt. Michael McLaughlin says witnesses have indicated the minivan was driving north in the southbound lanes at the time of the crash near Ware Road.

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He says investigators are looking for additional witnesses and dash-camera footage, including any footage of the minivan driving between Third Street and Pine Street in Nanaimo, where it was spotted four hours before the crash.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 27, 2026.

The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press

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