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Police not releasing identity in highway death

A 24-year-old woman working in Whistler was struck and killed by a cab at 3:09 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 6. The woman was walking northbound on the highway past Lorimer Road in the right lane, her back to traffic, when the accident happened.

A 24-year-old woman working in Whistler was struck and killed by a cab at 3:09 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 6.

The woman was walking northbound on the highway past Lorimer Road in the right lane, her back to traffic, when the accident happened. She was transported to the Whistler Health Care Centre, but succumbed to her injuries and died.

According to the police report, the driver was unable to avoid her as there was oncoming traffic in the other lane and a snow bank on the right. The conditions were described as wet and slushy after snow fell most of the day, with large puddles of water on the roadway.

An investigation is underway with the Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Services and Sea to Sky Traffic Services, and the road was closed until roughly 12:30 p.m. as police collected evidence from the scene.

The police will not identify her until they reach her next of kin and receive permission from her family, and are tracing her movements through the evening leading up to her death. There is no evidence that alcohol was a factor for the driver, and it's unknown if the woman had been drinking earlier in the evening.

The police know her nationality, but aren't releasing that information. "We don't want to unnecessarily concern other parents of 24-year-old women working in Whistler," explained Staff Sergeant Steve LeClair.

The police did confirm that she was from out-of-country and a seasonal worker in the resort.

While the cause of the accident has not been determined, motorists are asked to slow down when driving on wet, snow or ice-covered roads. Pedestrians should also not walk on the travelled portion of the road where there are tire tracks, and should always walk on the left side of a road to face traffic. Bright-coloured clothes and lights are also recommended.

People should also consider using the Valley Trail rather than walking along the highway when that's an option. There was a Valley Trail running parallel to the section of highway where the woman was hit.

Details regarding the driver are also not available, although Whistler Taxi called the Pique on Thursday to stress that none of their vehicles were involved in the accident.