Woman dies but child pulled from burning van after crash near Enderby

ENDERBY, B.C. – Crash analysts are picking through the remains of a fiery wreck near Enderby, B.C., north of Vernon, that killed a 49-year-old Enderby woman, but left a two-year-old boy almost unhurt.

The crash occurred late Wednesday afternoon and closed Highway 97A, south of Enderby for nearly six hours.

Vernon RCMP spokesman Gord Molendyk says a Chevrolet Astro van was seen weaving on the highway, almost hitting a motorcycle just before crossing the centreline and slamming head-on into an oncoming transport truck.

Molendyk says officers want to know if the woman suffered a medical condition or if there were contributing factors that led to the crash.

The van burst into flames after spinning into a nearby field and police say a Good Samaritan shattered a van window to rescue the two-year-old, who was still strapped into his car seat.

The trucker, a 36-year-old Peachland man, barely had time to brace himself before the van hit, and suffered broken wrists as he clutched the steering wheel on impact. (CHNL, CKIZ)