A 19-year-old man from Squamish was airlifted from a fatal accident scene last weekend and flown to Vancouver General Hospital then released with just minor injuries a short time later.
The accident happened at about 6 a.m. on Saturday (April 16), the Squamish RCMP reported.
According to Cpl. Mike Byrne, the Squamish man was driving south on Hwy. 99 in a 2003 Chevrolet full-size pickup truck.
Byrne reported the light beige truck crossed over the double solid yellow line just north of Lions Bay at a three-lane section of the highway. The full size truck collided head-on with a 1995 Ford pickup truck traveling north. Byrne said the northbound truck was smaller than the other vehicle involved in the crash.
The two people riding in the smaller truck died from their injuries. The driver was a 48-year-old resident of Lions Bay and his passenger was a 41-year-old man from Vancouver.
Craig Davidiuk of Squamish was on his way to the Sunshine Coast but he was stopped at the accident scene. He estimates he arrived on the scene about 20 minutes after the crash.
He said he could only see the larger truck, which suffered significant front end damage.
The Chief learned the younger man from Vancouver was Mike Tan. The name of the other victim was not released as of The Chief's press deadline.
Cpl. Dave Ritchie said the smaller truck had tools in the back but he could not say if the two men inside were on their way to work.
The RCMP and Coroner Brian Pothier are investigating the crash.
Ritchie said the weather conditions were less than ideal.
"It was wet, heavy rains and high winds at the time," he said.
According to Davidiuk, it was raining extremely hard at about the time the crash occurred.
"I had the wipers on full and I couldn't keep the windshield clean," said Davidiuk. He added that it was still dark when the vehicles collided.
"It was just staring to get light," he said.
The Lions Bay Fire Department was on the scene when Davidiuk arrived. Tarps were over the smaller truck and he was told there were a couple of fatalities.
The highway did not reopen until noon, with accident crews remaining on the scene for hours after.
According to Ritchie, the RCMP investigation into the collision is ongoing and once it is complete, a report will go to Crown counsel with recommendations of possible charges.
"Local Crown counsel will then forward the report to Regional Crown and they will review it," said Ritchie.
The process takes time, so Ritchie isn't expecting charges will be laid any time soon if the evidence from the crash investigation suggests a charge is appropriate.
Ritchie did say speed, drugs and alcohol were all ruled out as being factors.
