One woman died and one was airlifted to hospital in Kelowna, following a fatal ATV accident on a rail trail near Grand Forks over Easter weekend.
Local RCMP responded to a call at 6:25 p.m. on April 11 near the 3000-block of Ward Road in Rural Grand Forks. The road runs parallel to the rail trail where the accident occurred.
After an investigation, “we determined that it was a tragic accident and have turned over the investigation to the Coroner Service,” Grand Forks RCMP Sgt. Darryl Peppler said in an email on April 21. The BC Coroners Service (BCCS) said that its investigation into the cause of death is still in its early stages.
RCMP offer safety tips for riders
Following another ATV injury incident on April 21 near the Seven Mile Dam in Trail, Sgt. Mike Wicentowich of the Trail RCMP detachment issued a list of safety tips to ATV riders.
His detachment and Kootenay Boundary Regional Fire Rescue responded to the April 21 incident, where a 68-year-old male suffered “serious but non life-threatening injuries” after his ATV apparently tipped over and then may have rolled on him.
In a release, Wicentowich encouraged ATV riders to wear proper safety gear, do pre-ride inspections, never ride alone, not overload their machine with passengers and to be aware of their surroundings and fellow trail users.
Wicentowich also advised that riders let others know where they’re going and when they expect to return. It was the 68-year-old man’s riding partner who realized that he did not arrive back at the pre-arranged meeting point on time and went on to locate the injured rider and call for help.
