A Saturday morning accident on Highway 3 near Princeton has claimed the life of a Keremeos resident
On Feb. 11 at approximately 7:30 a.m., a 1995 Honda Accord lost control on Highway 3, nine kilometres east of Princeton. The vehicle skidded off the left hand side of the road, over an embankment and came to rest overturned on the Similkameen River.
Three passengers escaped the vehicle, one of whom was seen on the side of the road by a passing South Okanagan Traffic Services RCMP member. He observed a car upside down on the river and a female on the icy bank trying to prevent another woman from being washed downstream by the current.
RCMP member Mike Leiding, accompanied by a passing Argo Road Maintenance worker, helped pull the woman from the river. They then jumped into the Similkameen in an attempt to extricate the female driver, who was submerged in the water.
Unsuccessful in their attempt, the two men then attempted to roll the vehicle using chains and the Argo vehicle.
The driver, identified on Tuesday as Alison Jeanine Terbasket, a 34 year old Keremeos woman, appeared to have drowned.
The passengers were escorted to Penticton Regional Hospital by ambulance to be treated for moderate to serious non-life threatening injuries.
All four occupants were related.
The scene was attended by IRSU members, ambulance, fire and rescue, collision analyst and a coroner.
The investigation into the accident continues with the assistance of RCMP South Okanagan Traffic Services.