Second person dies after four-vehicle accident in B.C.’s northwest

VANCOUVER – A second person has died following a four-vehicle crash on Highway 16 west of Prince George, B.C. on Monday.

Police say a female occupant of a Jeep Cherokee died of her injuries while undergoing treatment at Vancouver General Hospital, and a second female occupant of the same vehicle remains in stable condition.

A male driver of a Toyota Tercel and a resident of Fraser Lake, B.C., was pronounced dead at the scene following the crash near the Beaumont Provincial Park turnoff.

The RCMP say the accident took place when the driver of the Jeep crossed the highway’s centre line and collided with the Toyota.

They say the Jeep was then pushed backwards into the path of a commercial trailer, before that vehicle was struck from behind by an eastbound commercial crane unit.

While the police have not yet identified the victims, they say the two female occupants of the Jeep were mother and daughter and lived in Prince George, and investigators are looking at such factors as weather, road conditions, distractions and the vehicle’s mechanical condition.