Police are not ruling out criminality after several people were injured, and one woman died Thursday evening in a multi-vehicle crash on Highway 1.
Emergency crews responded to the scene of the crash east of Chilliwack near Popkum around 6:50 p.m.
CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO 1130 NEWSRADIO VANCOUVER LIVE!BC Emergency Health Services says six ambulances and an air ambulance helped transport four people to hospital.
“Tragically a woman who was a passenger in one of the vehicles was pronounced deceased on scene,” said the Upper Fraser Valley Regional Detachment of the RCMP Friday.
Images from the scene show police investigating a severely damaged white SUV and a black sedan.
In an update around 11:30 a.m. Friday, the BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) says it has taken over the investigation because police “cannot rule out a criminal cause for this crash.”
The BCHP identified the deceased as a 29-year-old Mission woman who was a passenger in the sedan at the time of the crash.
One of the surviving victims, a 65-year-old man who was driving the sedan, is described as having sustained “serious injuries.” The other three, the SUV driver and two passengers of the sedan, reportedly sustained “non-life-threatening injuries.”
Police shut down the westbound lanes of Highway 1 west of Peters Road for hours overnight. The highway has since reopened.
“We will need to investigate thoroughly, gather dash camera video, and speak to more witnesses to get a conclusive idea of what happened,” said Cpl. Michael McLaughlin with the BCHP.
Those with information to share are asked to contact the BC Highway Patrol in Chilliwack at 604-702-4039 and quote file (1501) 2025-46642.