RCMP and the BC Coroners Service are investigating a single vehicle collision that claimed a life along Highway 97 Sunday afternoon in Kelowna.
On Sunday, March 10th at about 1:00 pm, emergency crews were called to the scene of a single vehicle collision on Highway 97 near Dry Valley Road.
The driver of a black Mercedes 300e had been southbound, when his vehicle veered off the travel portion of the highway and collided with a traffic sign. The vehicle came to final rest against a small tree.
“The investigation remains in its early stages and determining the causal factors will rely on the results of a pending mechanical inspection, the findings made by the collision analyst who examined the scene and the information provided by independent witnesses to the crash,” states Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey of the Kelowna RCMP. “There are some early indicators to suggest that the driver may have suffered a sudden medical incident behind the wheel.”
BC Ambulance Service paramedics were nearby and arrived on scene shortly after the collision took place to find the driver in cardiac arrest. “Emergency paramedics reportedly performed CPR on the male for an extended period of time before he was sadly pronounced deceased at the scene,” adds Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey.
The driver whose name will not be released, due to his privacy, has been identified by police as a 66-year-old Kelowna man.
If you witnessed this crash and have not yet spoken to police you are asked to contact the Kelowna RCMP Municipal Traffic Section at 250-762-3300.