Police say icy road conditions likely contributed to a crash on the Bombi Pass that killed a local woman and a boy Monday afternoon.
RCMP say the incident occurred when a westbound Nissan Xterra occupied by a driver and two passengers crossed over the centre line and collided sideways into the front of an eastbound Ford F150 occupied. That vehicle was occupied only by the driver.
“Both female drivers received non-life threatening injuries,” said West Kootenay Traffic Services Sargeant Chad Badry. “Sadly, a 45-year-old female passenger of the Nissan from Castlegar and the 12-year-old son of the driver of the Nissan from Salmo were pronounced deceased at the scene.”
Their names have not been released.
The head-on collision on Highway 3 near the Bombi Pass summit closed the highway for several hours on Monday afternoon while emergency personnel completed examination of the scene.
“The road was icy in that location and is considered a contributing factor to the collision,” says Badry.
Badry is cautioning drivers to take care as winter weather begins a daily thaw-freeze cycle.
“As we start to see warming temperatures during the day, and freezing temperatures at night or in the shade, I would like to remind drivers to be cautious and diligent in addition to ensuring their vehicles are still well-equipped for winter,” he said.
The RCMP will be working with the coroner’s office to determine the cause of the collision.
Anyone with information about the collision is asked to call West Kootenay Traffic Services at 250-354-5180.