VANCOUVER – Two people are dead after a car breached a concrete retaining wall and crashed down an embankment north of the Cassiar Tunnel on Highway 1 early Tuesday morning, according to Vancouver police.
Officers arrived shortly after 1:30 a.m. to find an adult male driver who had been ejected from the car and an adult female passenger who remained inside the vehicle. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, Vancouver police Const. Lindsey Houghton said in a news release. Police will be working with the coroner to establish their identities, he added.
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“At this very early stage, investigators believe that the collision happened after the car breached a concrete retaining wall on the Highway 1 on ramp above, went down the embankment, and came to rest on the edge of the northbound lanes of Highway 1 below,” Houghton said in the release. Speed was likely a contributing factor to the crash, Houghton said, but it is unknown whether alcohol was involved.
Westbound traffic on Highway 1 remained slow around the Cassiar Tunnel Tuesday morning, with one lane open to traffic, according to reports. TransLink is also reporting mild delays to area bus services.
The deaths are Vancouver’s sixth and seventh traffic-related deaths of 2012, Houghton said.
Police are appealing for any witnesses to contact the Vancouver Police Collision Investigation Unit at 604-717-3012 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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