4 people died in 4 different car accidents on BC roads last week

BC RCMP say it’s been a deadly start to the new year on BC’s roads, as several fatal crashes have been reported throughout the province during the first week of 2019.

On January 4, at approximately 1:30 am, a two-vehicle fatal collision was reported on Highway 1 approximately 20 kilometres west of Field, BC.

Upon arrival at the scene, police determined that an eastbound passenger vehicle with two female occupants crossed the centre line and collided with a westbound transport truck. The female passenger in the sedan (an Alberta resident) was killed as a result of the collision. The driver of the sedan sustained serious injuries while the driver of the transport truck was uninjured. Weather, road conditions and driver experience are being considered as possible contributing factors to this crash.

On January 6, at approximately 1 am, Deas Island Traffic Services attended a single vehicle collision on Highway 99 (northbound) just north of Steveston Road in Richmond.

In this case, police said a northbound vehicle with a lone female occupant left the roadway, collided with a highway sign and landed upside down and partially submerged in the water-filled ditch adjacent to the highway. The female driver was from the Lower Mainland. It was raining heavily at the time of the crash and road/weather conditions, as well as driver experience, are being considered as possible contributing factors to this crash.

On that same day, in the Rocky Mountain town of Fernie, police received reports of a three-vehicle fatal crash on Highway 3 approximately one km east of the town around 5:40 am.

When police arrived on scene, they determined that a man driving westbound had crossed the centre line and collided with an eastbound commercial van and a second vehicle that was following the van.

The driver of the westbound vehicle was not seat-belted and died in the collision. The two occupants of the van sustained non-life threatening injuries and the lone driver of the third vehicle was not injured. Road and weather conditions, along with “driver experience” are being considered as possible contributing factors to this collision.

Also on January 6, over in the Okanagan, police responded to a three-vehicle fatal collision on Highway 97 near Birnie Road, south of Vernon, just after 3 pm.

In that incident, three southbound vehicles collided after one vehicle attempted to pass two other vehicles. One of the vehicles being passed was hit, that driver lost control and struck a rock face and the passenger in the car that was hit died in the ensuing collision. Driver inexperience is being considered as a possible contributing factor to this collision.

In light of the deadly incidents, police are reminding motorists to exercise caution by slowing down,” as road and weather conditions can change rapidly and without warning.”

They added that reducing one’s speed, and properly equipping vehicles for winter travel can greatly reduce the risk of being injured or killed in a collision.

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