Coquihalla rollover kills one, injures four

HOPE — Investigations are ongoing following a serious rollover crash that killed one person and injured four others.

Saturday (July 17) morning just after 8:30, Hope RCMP, B.C. Highway Patrol Chilliwack, and emergency medical crews responded to the southbound lanes of the Coquihalla Highway 5 – south of the Portia Brake Check – for reports of a serious single vehicle rollover collision.

“First responders arrived on scene to find a heavily damaged grey Mazda CX-9 on its side,” Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey stated. “Two adults and two children sustained varying degrees of injuries, all serious and many considered to be potentially life threatening in nature. While sadly a fifth occupant of the vehicle, a woman in her 70s, was pronounced deceased at the scene.”

Both adults were air lifted from the crash site by B.C. Emergency Health Services to lower mainland hospitals in serious condition. At last update, RCMP said both the man and woman were in emergency surgery.

One of the two children was transported by B.C. Air Ambulance to B.C. Children’s Hospital in critical condition. While the other was taken to an area hospital with serious bodily injuries, believed to be non-life threatening.

The B.C. Coroners Service has been notified and attended the collision scene to launch its own concurrent fact-finding investigation into the elderly woman’s unexpected death.

To protect the privacy and identity of the deceased and all those injured, RCMP said no further information will be released.

The crash closed the southbound lanes of Highway 5 for multiple hours.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or have any dash camera footage that may aid investigators, and have not yet spoken to police, are asked to contact B.C. Highway Patrol Chilliwack at 604-702-4039.