A head-on collision on Highway 97 south of 100 Mile House has led to one fatality.
The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 18 when two SUV-style vehicles collided on Highway 97 near Ainsworth Road. 100 Mile Fire Rescue chief Dave Bissat said that deputy chief Cole Sparreboom came across the scene while responding to another call and updated dispatch. 100 Mile Fire Rescue, BC Ambulance and 100 Mile House RCMP promptly responded to the scene.
"On arrival, both vehicles' engine compartments were fully engulfed with fire, and we had three patients entrapped," Bissat said. "I attended the scene and assisted (Sparreboom) using fire extinguishers to control the fire until our crews arrived. Our crews arrived and quickly mitigated the fire and extricated patients."
100 Mile RCMP Sgt. Brian Lamb said that the adult male driver and sole occupant of the vehicle travelling northbound was found deceased at the scene. The two male occupants of the southbound SUV, meanwhile, were removed from their vehicle with injuries believed to be serious.
One of the men was taken to 100 Mile District General Hospital for treatment while the other was flown by Air Ambulance to the Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops. Lamb said the man taken to 100 Mile has since also been transferred to Kamloops for further treatment.
"A next of kin notification was completed by the RCMP to the family of the deceased male who is a resident from the Lower Mainland," Lamb said. "Family of the two injured persons have also been notified."
Highway 97 was closed for several hours at RCMP and the BC Coroners Service investigated the scene. Lamb said the causal factors of this incident are under investigation and RCMP ask any witnesses or persons with dash cam footage of the incident to call 100 Mile House RCMP at 250-395-2456.
