Traffic is snarled heading southbound from Lake Country into Kelowna Thursday morning due to a high-speed crash that left two with serious injuries.
The issue is affecting the southbound side of the highway, which is closed at Airport Way.
Police said in a Thursday morning press release that it was before midnight on May 31 when a black Mercedes was spotted traveling well under the posted speed limit and unable to maintain lanes south on Highway 97 near Ellison Lake.
“The officers attempted to stop the vehicle, which then fled at a dangerously high rate of speed,” RCMP said.
“For officer and public safety, no pursuit was initiated and the officer pulled over.”
Police said that after losing sight of the car, the officer continued and at 11:50 p.m. came across a large dust cloud at the John Hindle Drive off-ramp, which merges with Highway 97.
There they found debris on the roadway and realized that the car had departed the roadway.
The officer located the same Mercedes over the embankment in a ditch a significant distance from the highway.
The officer then located an ejected passenger who had significant injuries and the driver who was trapped and required assistance to exit the heavily damaged vehicle.
Both the driver and the passenger have been transported to a local area hospital in serious but stable condition.
The highway will remain closed while the RCMP Collision and Reconstructionist Service completes its initial investigation.
“This collision is a prime example of the dangers of excessive speeding on British Columbia roadways. These two individuals are extremely lucky to have survived and have a long, difficult recovery ahead,” Const. Mike Della-Paolera said.
An assessment is in progress and a detour is available.
If you witnessed this collision or have any dash camera recording and have yet spoken to a police officer, please contact the Kelowna RCMP at 250-762-3300 and reference file 2023-30191.
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