A Victoria man was killed in a tragic dirt bike collision in Ucluelet on May 21.
The single-vehicle crash occurred around 3 p.m. about six kilometres from Port Albion Road and the BC Coroners Service has confirmed Dallas Tomniuk died the following day.
Tomniuk was camping in Ucluelet with his wife over the May Long Weekend and the two were riding separate dirt bikes together but split up to take different trails off Barkley Main Forest Service Road, according to Const. Marcel Midlane of the Ucluelet RCMP.
“He was going to take one trail and meet her back at another trail and unfortunately he never showed up,” Midlane said. “It was supposed to be a fun weekend and it turned into a tragedy.
Tomniuk was airlifted to Victoria General Hospital where he succumbed to his injuries, according to Midlane who added Tomniuk was in his 40’s and had two children.
Midlane said Tomniuk was an experienced rider and was wearing a helmet and full protective gear at the time of the accident.
“It just shows you how fragile life can be and how fast it can turn,” Midlane said.
A specific cause for the accident was not known at press time.
“There’s nothing that glared out at the scene that was solid concrete evidence of what exactly happened,” Midlane said adding Ucluelet’s back roads are full of potholes and debris that can pose significant risks to dirt bikers.
“I would like to suggest to anybody who’s riding the back roads around here to take it easy and be aware of the uncertain nature of the roads.”
A GoFundMe account has been created at www.gofundme.com/265ekecc to support the Tomniuk family during this difficult time.