Crash leaves woman in critical condition
A woman remains in critical condition in hospital after five people, including two children not properly restrained, were injured in an accident on Sunday, March 17, just south of the Inks Lake brake check on Coquihalla Highway.
The accident, which happened at about 7:20 p.m., involved a southbound vehicle that went across the highway through the ditch and onto the shoulder of the northbound lane.
As the other vehicle came across, a northbound vehicle lost control and rolled at least four times before coming to rest in the southbound fast lane, said Const. Tyler Braun of the RCMP's Central Interior Traffic Services.
He said the two children were younger than three years of age, noting there were no car seats in the vehicle.
Braun added investigators are still trying to determine if anyone had a seatbelt fastened.
The children and two other people are also in hospital.
"They are very fortunate," Braun said of the children.
A police dog was brought in to search the area for other possible victims and police analysts from Merritt and Kelowna were also involved.
The highway was closed to southbound traffic and had just one northbound lane open for about five hours.
Braun said the highway was "extremely icy" at the time.
The Coquihalla was hit hard by snow on the weekend, with up to 40 centimetres falling between Merritt and Hope.
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