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One dead in Pemberton rollover crash

Speed reportedly a factor in tragic crash on Slow Food Cycle Sunday
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INVESTIGATIONS UNDERWAY A life was lost in Pemberton following a rollover crash described by police as speed-related. Photo by John French

Speed is thought to have been a factor in a fatal rollover crash on the Pemberton Meadows Road. The single-vehicle accident involving a truck loaded with people went off the road at about 11 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 18, narrowly missing some cyclists participating in Slow Food Cycle Sunday.

The crash happened about halfway between Collins Road and Eagle Ridge Drive. The road was closed after the crash and a RCMP crash analysis team was dispatched from Surrey to look over the incident scene.

Sgt. Rob Knapton of the RCMP confirmed that one person was killed in the crash.

“Through our investigation we learned that there was five people inside the vehicle when the accident happened,” Knapton said outside the emergency room of the Pemberton medical clinic. “It appears that two people were ejected from the vehicle.”

According to Knapton, oncoming cyclists reported the truck was travelling at a high rate of speed, it lost control as it came around a corner then went off the road and rolled a number of times.

Knapton said through a news release that a 29 year-old Whistler male died on the scene of the crash. His name hasn’t been released.

“Four people were transported to hospital with serious injuries,” reported Knapton.

Two people in the truck were airlifted to Vancouver for treatment with serious injuries. Two others were transported to the Whistler Clinic for treatment.

“It’s amazing that no one else was hurt,” said Knapton. “The slow food cycle is a large event for the community with a huge number of families and kids taking place. There was significant potential for a cyclist to be hurt.”

RCMP members were working at the Slow Food Cycle and they attended to the scene along with one member from the local tribal police, said Knapton. Members of the Pemberton fire department also helped at the crash scene.

The road closure put in place after the crash forced participants in Pemberton’s annual Slow Food Cycle Sunday to detour using other roads. The detour was a minor change for the thousands of visitors in Pemberton participating in the event.

While the RCMP continues its investigation the BC Coroners Service is also investigating the fatal crash.

Check back with Pique on Thursday for any new information on the tragic accident.