PEMBERTON, B.C. — Three people are dead after a man, who police believe was impaired, drove into a group of cyclists out for a weekend ride northeast of Whistler, B.C.
RCMP said they received a call from a witness about a driver crashing into three people cycling along Highway 99 around noon on Sunday, killing two of them, along with the vehicle's sole passenger.
The condition of the third cyclist was unknown, said RCMP Staff Sgt. Steve LeClair.
"The problem is the area is relatively remote with no cell phone coverage and spotty radio reception," he said. "We do have a collision-investigation team on scene, as well as our local members and the coroner."
LeClair suggested reports the driver was impaired at the time of the crash were based on observations from witnesses and police officers at the scene.
"I don't know what the particulars of that are but I suspect it's based on their observations and their experience," he said.
One officer accompanied the driver as he was airlifted to a hospital in Vancouver.
Ross Chafe and Kelly Blunden were identified as the two cyclists killed in the collision.
The families of the two cyclists who were killed have been notified, said LeClair, but the identity of the deceased passenger has yet to be confirmed.
No charges have been laid, however, police say the investigation is ongoing.
The president of a Whistler, B.C., cycling club says two of three people killed in a weekend crash were active members of his group with a lot of experience on the road.
Frank Savage of the Whistler Cycling Club says the group was apparently wheeling down a steep and challenging area when the accident happened.
Savage says the two dead cyclists were prominent riders in the resort municipality and his group is devastated, however both he and police are withholding their identities.
RCMP say the driver of the vehicle, who is now in a Vancouver hospital, appears to have been impaired during the crash, based on observations from witnesses and officers at the scene.
Highway 99 was closed in both directions for nearly 10 hours on Sunday.
Photo: CTV
