Injuries from apparent motorcycle crash were actually from assault, Nanaimo RCMP say

Mounties in Nanaimo are asking the public for help as they investigate an aggravated assault that happened in the city last week.

Shortly after midnight on April 20, officers were called to help BC Emergency Health Services at the intersection of Esplanade Street and Victoria Crescent in downtown Nanaimo, RCMP said in a news release Wednesday.

When they arrived, police found a black Harley Davidson motorcycle lying on its side and paramedics tending to a wounded man nearby.

While it initially appeared that the motorcycle's rider had been injured in a collision, police said it "quickly became apparent" that the man was the victim of a serious assault.

The 34-year-old Nanaimo resident was flown to Victoria General Hospital and is now in stable condition, police said.

Mounties did not provide any additional details on the nature of the assault or the victim's injuries in their release.

Police ask anyone who witnessed an altercation or drove through the area between 11:30 p.m. and midnight on the night of the incident to contact them at 250-754-2345 and reference file number 2022-13136.