One young woman is dead and another is in critical condition after being hit by a truck in Williams Lake early Sunday morning.
The two were walking near Carson Drive around 2 a.m. when they were struck by an older model pickup truck, RCMP Const. Sam Nakatsu said. A 20-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene and a 19-year-old was airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital with life threatening injuries.
Police say the man driving the vehicle fled the crash site, but was quickly located and arrested. The man in his 20s has been charged with impaired driving causing death and impaired driving causing bodily harm.
The suspect has been released from custody pending his next court appearance.
News of the tragedy is hitting the community hard.
"People are in shock. I know there's going to be a lot of support and rallying around the family, both families as we walk through this," Williams Lake Mayor Kerry Cook told CTV News.
Cook knows both of the victims, who were attending school for nursing, and is grieving the loss of the woman who died.
"She was a young, beautiful, full-of-life individual with so much potential," she said.
Cook's thoughts are also with the woman in hospital with severe head and chest trauma.
"My concern right now is that her health and well-being is looked after," she added.
The BC Coroners Service and the RCMP Cariboo Chilcotin Traffic Services are continuing the investigation.
Police believe alcohol was a factor in the crash and say they are in the process of interviewing 30 potential witnesses.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Michele Brunoro
