1 dead, 1 injured after vehicle 'lost traction,' rolled down Chilliwack embankment, RCMP say

A woman is dead and a man has been airlifted to hospital after a serious crash on a snowy road in Chilliwack Tuesday afternoon.

The single-vehicle collision happened near Lickman and Chilliwack Mountain roads around 2 p.m., according to a statement from Chilliwack RCMP.

"Investigation has determined that the vehicle lost traction and left the roadway, rolling approximately 300 metres down an embankment," the statement reads.

A 59-year-old woman was pronounced dead at the scene, while a 63-year-old man was taken by helicopter to a regional hospital for treatment of serious injuries, police said.

Both crash victims are Chilliwack residents, according to police.

Mounties are investigating the crash with the help of the Integrated Collision Analysis Reconstruction Service and the BC Coroners Service. They said neither alcohol nor drugs is believed to be a factor in the crash.

Tuesday's unexpected snowfall led to chaos on Fraser Valley roads, with dozens of crashes reported around the region.

Along Highway 1 through Abbotsford, several vehicles could be seen in the ditches or flipped over in the median.

More snow is expected to hit the Lower Mainland Tuesday evening, and a statement from Mainroad Contracting says crews will be out on the region's roads salting and brining in preparation for an anticipated two centimetres of wet snow overnight.