NEW REPORT SHEDS LIGHT ON FATAL 2013 BRITISH COLUMBIA CRASH

The driver who caused a fatal head-on crash on Easter Sunday 2013 made no attempt to avoid the collision, according to a new report issued by the British Columbia Coroners Service. The report said the driver who was struck tried to swerve out of the way before the deadly impact.

According to authorities, the accident occurred on March 31, 2013, at approximately 1:40 p.m. on Highway 97 south of Vernon. Apparently, the 21-year-old driver of a 1996 Chevrolet pickup truck crossed into oncoming traffic and did not slow down or attempt to avoid a collision with a 2001 Volvo station wagon. However, the 70-year-old Volvo driver veered onto the shoulder of the road and hit his brakes before the accident. The force of the crash caused the pickup to flip over the top of the Volvo and land upside down. It is estimated the pickup was travelling between 78 to 94 kilometres per hour at the moment of impact; the speed of the Volvo was estimated to be between 44 and 55 kilometres an hour.

Responding emergency crews found a 19-year-old Armstrong man dead in the front passenger seat of the pickup truck. The driver of the Volvo, a resident of Salmon Arm, also died at the scene of the crash. His 67-year-old wife was transported to a local hospital where she later died. Both Volvo occupants were wearing seat belts. The driver of the pickup, from Spallmucheen, was hospitalized in stable condition. He was charged with dangerous driving causing death in April 2014.

When a family loses a loved one in a car accident caused by the reckless actions of another driver, they may wish to consult with a lawyer. After reviewing the case, a lawyer may recommend filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the allegedly at-fault driver to obtain compensation for funeral costs and other damages.

Source: Kelowna Now, “New Information on Fatal Easter Crash Near Vernon Comes to Light,” Cassandra Jeffery, March 19, 2015