At around 1:25 AM, Kelowna police responded to a loud crash noise outside an RCMP building. They found a trail of flames across Highway 97 that led to a badly damaged Honda Civic crashed in a nearby ditch.
One of the passengers, a 26-year-old Vancouver man, was launched nearly 15 meters away from the vehicle's crash site, while the second occupant, a 32-year-old man from West Kelowna, was trapped in the vehicle and had to be extracted using the Jaws of Life.
Both occupants were carried to a nearby hospital by ambulance, where they are being treated for potentially life-threatening injuries.
The crash also knocked down a power line, temporarily cutting off power in the surrounding area until BC Hydro was able to repair it. The highway has also been re-opened after a few hours of closure due to the crash.
The investigation is still underway to determine the cause of the crash. Anyone with information regarding the crash is asked to call the RCMP at 250-762-3300.