VANCOUVER -A man is dead after a spectacular crash at a B.C. ferry terminal.

Horrified ferry passengers watched as a truck  raced up to 100 kilometres per hour through a barrier and off the ramp at the Swartz Bay ferry terminal on Friday afternoon.

The driver's body was pulled out of the water, about 30 kilometres north of Victoria, less than two hours after the incident.

B.C. Ferries said there was nothing that could have been done to prevent the incident.

"It is our understanding the driver acted intentionally," said B.C. Ferries spokesperson Deborah Marshall on Saturday. "We now want to look at how we responded. Everyone worked together and it seemed to go quite well."

She said that the Spirit of British Columbia had left the terminal five minutes prior to the incident.

Sidney/North Saanich RCMP are leading the investigation and lifted the car out of the water late Friday night.

Witnesses described the accident as a "sccene from a Hollywood movie." The truck landed front first, then leveled off before sinking. Mounties still have witnesses to speak before determining the cause of death.

"The incident is under investigation by the B.C. Coroner's Service with assistance from the Sidney/North Saanich RCMP," said spokesperson Cpl. McKinney.

An autopsy will be done on the body. Police are waiting to find out if the driver died on impact or from drowning. The results will also show if any drugs or alcohol were in the driver's system.

Marshall added that the incident is not expected to affect B.C. Ferries' operations at Swartz Bay and normal long weekend operations continue.