NANAIMO, B.C. -
RCMP on Vancouver Island are considering drunk driving charges against a mother who was involved in a crash that killed two of her young children.
It happened on the Island Highway just south of Nanaimo on Monday afternoon. Police say the mother was driving a Ford Escape with her four children inside, when she lost control on the ice and crashed into on-coming traffic.
Seven cars were involved in the crash and nine people were sent to hospital. A three-year-old boy and an eight-year-old boy were pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident occurred on a stretch of highway that has been the scene of other deadly crashes. As a result, people who live in the area are calling for improvements.
Witnesses told police a Ford Escape SUV was travelling too fast for the snowy conditions. "The vehicle was passing on snow-covered roads and over the speed limit,'' said RCMP Const. Norm Smith.
An investigation into the incident continues. But a major stumbling block in the case is the fact that the mother was too distraught to submit to a breathalyzer test. However, police are hoping to obtain a blood sample that was provided by the mother after the crash.
"The whole side of the vehicle was mangled,'' said Dan White, a Vancouver Island resident, who witnessed the accident.
Aside from the two children who died, the passengers also included a six-year-old girl, who was airlifted to the B.C. Children's Hospital in Vancouver. Her condition is not known.
The other passenger was a four-year-old boy, who suffered only minor injuries, including a fractured arm.
With a report by CTV British Columbia's Stephen Smart.
