Fort Nelson, B.C. – Two people have died in a collision near the 314 kilometre marker of Highway 97 north.

 

About 5:44 pm on Tuesday, May 8^th, a northbound Ford Ranger pickup was struck head on by a southbound Ford Focus that was attempting to pass a commercial vehicle.

The two occupants of the Ford Focus, a22 year old male from Alaska and a 27 yer old male from Oklahoma, died in the crash.

 

The 21 year old Vernon B.C. man who was the driver and  lone occupant of the pickup truck was attended to at the scene by a vacationing doctor, a couple of first aid medics from Buckinghorse, B.C. and witnesses until police and the BC Ambulance Service could arrive on scene. The injured male was then medivaced by helicopter from the scene to Fort St John Hospital with serious but non life-threatening injuries.  He was transferred to the University Hospital of Northern British Columbia in Prince George and remains in stable condition, after having had surgery.

 

Names are not being released at this time.

 

The Northern Rockies Traffic Services Unit out of Fort Nelson and the B.C. Coroners Service continue to investigate the crash.

 

At this time speed and driver inattentiveness are being considered as contributing factors in this collision.

 

Anyone, who may have witnessed the collision or who might have been travelling on Highway 97 at the time of this collision and may have seen either one of these vehicles prior to the crash, is asked to contact the Northern Rockies Traffic Services Unit at  (250) 774-3883.