14 replies to this topic

[Holden West]

Times Colonist sports editor killed in car crash


Victoria Times Colonist sports editor Gavin Fletcher.
Photograph by : Times Colonist


Victoria Times Colonist
Published: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Times Colonist sports editor Gavin Fletcher was killed in a car accident on the Malahat late last night.

His sedan hydroplaned on a watery stretch of road near Bamberton during the rainy and windy weather.

The car spun across the highway, striking a rock wall with its back end around 11:15 p.m.

Fletcher, 39, died instantly.

He leaves behind a five-month-old daughter, Sophia; six-year-old daughter, Claudia; and wife Natalie.

The popular editor was known for his dry sense of humour, love of cycling, and active role in hockey and adventure sports.

He was commuting home to Nanaimo after a shift at the newspaper.

Shawnigan Lake RCMP say poor weather played a role in the accident.
© Times Colonist 2006

[Mike K.]

The Malahat takes another...

Here's a toast to those who claim we don't need improvements on that road. :roll:

[VicHockeyFan]

Holy cow. Knew him very well, as he did the business-side reporting on the Salmon Kings.

[Holden West]

For whatever reason, CH News reported the crash but didn't name Fletcher, simply saying "...a man commuting home to Nanaimo..."

[DelsterX]

Holy Sh__ That is terrible news. Talked to him a number times and was interviewed by him at a SK game. This is very sad. :cry:

[gumgum]

Poor guy.

[VicHockeyFan]

He also did some great writing on the Victoria Rebels team that I'm involved with.

[VicHockeyFan]

Times Colonist sports editor killed in car crash
Sports editor Gavin Fletcher.
Photograph by : Times Colonist
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Font: * * * * Rob Shaw and Cindy E. Harnett, Victoria Times Colonist
Published: Tuesday, December 12, 2006
A car crash has claimed the life of Times Colonist sports editor Gavin Fletcher, one of the Island’s most popular and well-respected sports journalists.

The 39-year-old father of two lost control of his sedan as it hydroplaned in extremely rainy and windy conditions on the Malahat at about 11:15 p.m. on Monday. His 1991 Infiniti slid across the highway on the hill just past the Malahat’s Big Rock lookout.

The vehicle’s back end collided violently with a rock wall. The damage was severe.

Despite the fact he was wearing a seat-belt and driving the speed limit, Fletcher was killed instantly.

“We’ll never know what caused him to go off the road,” said Shawnigan Lake RCMP Const. Kevin Barata.

“I would suspect the weather and rain conditions likely had a part to play in it. It was raining so heavily [Monday] night... [and] it is a downhill section and the water tends to flow down the road and pool in areas.”

Fletcher was on his way home to his family in Nanaimo. He had been making the daily commute between Nanaimo and Victoria for many of the nine years he worked at the Times Colonist.

When police officers arrived at his home early yesterday morning, his wife Natalie knew instantly the worst had happened.

“Two police constables were standing at the door... and I knew exactly what was going on,” said Natalie, who struggled to remain composed yesterday morning and admitted she had yet to fully take in the tragedy.

Fletcher leaves behind two young daughters: Six-year-old Claudia and five-month-old Sophia.

Fletcher was a volunteer soccer coach and intensely devoted dad, said Natalie. “He was an amazing father. I could not ask for a better husband and father. He will be so missed.”

News of the accident devastated the Island sports community Fletcher had worked so hard to promote. He had transcended the role of sports reporter, often forming close friendships with the athletes he covered. He earned their respect by training with them and pushing himself through marathons and events that he turned into some of the newspaper’s most entertaining columns.

Fletcher was a nationally ranked cyclist in his youth and continued to enjoy the sport recreationally. He was also a runner, and played defence on the Times Colonist Paperboys hockey team.

“He was a rare kind of sports editor who actually knew sports from the inside as well as the outside,” said Lucinda Chodan, Times Colonist editor-in-chief.

“And that gave him a particularly unique perspective and gave the sports section a lot of credibility.”

As sports editor, he passionately lobbied for more space to highlight Island athletes, said Chodan. He was universally liked and well-respected.

“We will all miss him a great deal.”

[Holden West]

For some bizarre reason C-FAX and Canwest partner CH News is still not reporting Fletcher's name. In fact, CH sports reporter Keith Wells was the guest on the noon call in show and not a word was said about it and they joked around as if nothing had happened. Very strange. It's not like they're protecting next of kin because the T/C is all over this story.

[renthefinn]

They mentioned him on CH's 5 and 6pm news.

[Willa]

Also on CH at 11 p.m.

[VicHockeyFan]

Still no coroner's report three years after accident

Probe into sports editor's death centres on possible car defect

By Rob Shaw, Times Colonist
December 27, 2009Comments (8)

http://www.timescolo...3766/story.html

A B.C. coroner's report that may contain important safety information about a popular brand of car remains unfinished more than three years after a fatal accident on the Malahat.

[...]

Authorities believe his car hydroplaned in the water, spun backwards, slid across the highway and collided with a rock wall with its back end. He and the driver's seat were violently ejected through the rear windshield.

[...]

Sounds like there could be a problem there if the whole seat went out.

[VicHockeyFan]

CORONER SAYS RARE CIRCUMSTANCES LED TO TRAFFIC DEATH OF LOCAL REPORTER

http://www.cfax1070....hp?newsId=12504

Feb 25, 2010

A CORONER'S INQUIRY HAS CONCLUDED THAT A VICTORIA MAN, KILLED IN A SINGLE VEHICLE CRASH ON THE MALAHAT TWO YEARS AGO, WAS THROWN FROM THE VEHICLE, DESPITE WEARING HIS SEATBELT CORRECTLY.

[...]

[VicHockeyFan]

http://www.timescolo...0973/story.html

Runners of all stripes will gather at Westwood Lake today in memory of one of their own.

Gavin Fletcher, a former editor with the Times Colonist and the Nanaimo Daily News, died in 2006 when his car went off the Malahat during severe rains. He left behind his young family and a tight-knit community of runners.

[Greg]

That's where I am this morning.