Road bare and wet at time of fatal crash
Cariboo Chilcotin Traffic Services, along with the BC Coroners Office continue their investigation into the fatal collision on Highway 97 north of McLeese Lake Thursday that claimed the lives of five Prince George residents in a two-vehicle crash.
Police have not yet released the names of the deceased, however the Prince George Citizen has revealed that the crash killed Matt Altizer, 40, his wife Leah and their two children, Jonathan and Emily, and Heather Kress, an adult family member. Matt Altizer was the systems manager for the Citizen.
The initial reports to the police indicated that the roads, at the time of the collision, were bare and dry. However, further investigation has revealed that the roads were bare and wet.
The accident occurred about 9:30 a.m. Thursday when the southbound grey Kia Sorrento the Altizer family were in, crossed the centerline and collided, head on, with a north bound Volvo semi. As a result of the impact, both vehicles were engulfed by fire. The driver of the tractor trailer unit was uninjured in the crash, but was taken to the Williams Lake Hospital for observations.
The BC Coroners Office will be bringing a specialist to Williams Lake to assist with forensic identification. An expert from the Identification and Disaster Response Unit is expected to be in Williams Lake later today. A full report with his findings will be provided to investigators once it has been completed. The names of the deceased are not being released at this time.
Police are asking anyone who may have witnessed this crash, have information they feel may assist in the investigation, or anyone who may traveled through the area prior to the crash, to contact the Williams Lake RCMP, or Crimestoppers.
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