A motorcyclist from Nanaimo was killed late Saturday night on the Trans-Canada Highway near Tappen.
Police report that the driver of a car travelling east on Highway #1 lost control and skidded sideways near James Road.
A motorcyclist heading west was hit by the passenger side of the car and both vehicles ended up in the ditch.
"A passing nurse and doctor stopped and rendered assistance but despite their efforts and the efforts of Provincial Ambulance, the operator of the motorcycle, a 39-year-old male from Nanaimo, succumbed to his injuries at the scene," states a police news release.
The driver and sole occupant of the car, a 34-year-old man from Vancouver, was treated in hospital and released a short time later.
The highway was closed following the accident but re-opened about 2:30 Sunday morning.
The cause of the collision is as yet unknown and police and the BC Coroners Service are both conducting investigations.