Canadian police seek Cork tourists who saw crash

The Canadian Mounted Police last night issued an appeal for Irish holidaymakers who witnessed the aftermath of a road crash in which three people died to contact them.

In a statement issued on its website, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said they wanted to speak to three holidaymakers from Cork who came across the scene of the accident north of Pemberton in British Columbia on May 31.

It is understood that a car hit three cyclists, killing two of them, as well as a passenger in the vehicle. The driver of the car was airlifted to hospital, while a third cyclist escaped unharmed.

The collision took place just before noon local time on Highway 99 in British Colombia, 25km north of Pemberton.

According to the police statement: “The RCMP has dedicated a significant number of resources to this investigation and the investigators are hoping to speak to the occupants of a black Jeep Cherokee who were vacationing in BC [British Colombia] from Cork, Ireland at the time of the collision.

“The witnesses are described as an older male and female married couple along with a female relative. The three visitors had been vacationing in Whistler and were on their way to Sun Peaks Resort when they happened upon the fatal collision. Police believe the three visitors stopped to assist at the collision and may have information to provide investigators.”

Cpl Ronda Rempel of the British Colombia Royal Canadian Mounted Police Traffic Services said: “We are hoping that, through social media and this news release, someone will be able to connect us with the three visitors from Cork.”

Anyone who has any information about these holidaymakers from Cork is asked to contact Cpl Elizabeth Lynn of Sea to Sky Traffic Services at 001 604-815-8261 and reference police file # 2015-3228.

According to the RCMP, the investigation is being led by Sea to Sky Traffic Services with support from other sections of the British Colombia police and from the local coroner’s service.

All of the victims in the road crash were male and local news reports claimed the driver of the car was “impaired”.

It was also reported that the scene of the crash was remote and that it had limited cell phone coverage, making it more difficult for police who initially responded to the crash to receive updates from investigators.

Shortly after the crash, one Canadian policeman, Sgt Rob Knapton, said: “The information we have is the driver did cross over into the oncoming lane and of course the cyclist would’ve been on the right-hand side of their lane that they were on.”