Motorcyclist airlifted

Photo: Contributed

A motorcyclist was seriously injured when his bike struck an SUV that was making a left turn on Westside Road on Sunday.

The crash happened at Marys Emerald Bay Road at 2:44 p.m., said witness Cody New.

"I'm unsure of his current condition. All I know is he was airlifted to the hospital with severe injuries," New said on Monday.

"As a fellow biker, It's very hard for me to see bike accidents like this one, it makes me think twice about my own safety while riding. It's not just you you have to worry about, it's the other people on the road," said New. "My hopes and prayers go out to him and his family."

RCMP confirmed Monday that the motorcyclist is in hospital with serious injuries.

Cpl. Tania Finn with Vernon North Okanagan RCMP said that members responded to a report of a collision involving three vehicles.

"A motorcycle being operated by a 38-year-old Lake Country man was headed northbound on Westside Road when it collided with a SUV making a left-hand turn onto a side road. The motorcycle then collided with a pickup truck travelling behind the SUV," Finn said in a release.

"As a result of the initial impact, it appears the operator of the motorcycle was thrown from the motorcycle prior to the motorcycle colliding with the third vehicle. Due to the seriousness of the motorcyclist injuries, BC Air Ambulance attended to the scene to transport the man to hospital."

New said the vehicle hit a pole, then hit the motorcyclist.

"The other side of the vehicle is damaged as well with lots of wood chips embedded inside the vehicle from the pole," New said.

The four occupants of the SUV and the lone occupant of the pick-up truck were treated by BC Ambulance Service for non-life threatening injuries, Finn said.

The RCMP are investigating the cause of the incident.