Crash on Westside Road with car in ditch. (Photo credit: Dean Broughton)

By Pete McIntyre

SUV went into lake

UPDATE: Body and vehicle recovered from Okanagan Lake

Jul 5, 2021 | 2:45 PM

UPDATE

The body of a driver associated with a crash on Westside Road last month has been located in Okanagan Lake, along with the driver’s vehicle.

A grey sports utility vehicle went off the road in the 2000-block June 24 around 7:30 p.m. in West Kelowna after trying to pass another vehicle.

The RCMP Underwater Recovery Team and the West Kelowna RCMP located the vehicle and the body of the driver with the assistance of West Kelowna Fire Rescue and Central Okanagan Search and Rescue on June 30. The driver has been identified as a 47-year-old woman from the West Kelowna area, with the investigation ongoing.

“We would like to thank our partners with the Central Okanagan Search and Rescue (COSAR) and West Kelowna Fire Rescue for their assistance over the past week conducting the search,” said S/Sgt. Duncan Dixon of the West Kelowna RCMP. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who witnessed this tragic event, as well as the woman’s friends and family during this difficult time.”

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Fatal crash on Westside Road Jun 25, 2021 | 12:00 PM

A crash on Westside Road Thursday night led to an SUV going off the roadway and into Okanagan Lake.

The driver is presumed to be dead.

West Kelowna RCMP say a grey sports utility vehicle collided with a Kia SUV while trying to pass it and then went into the lake around 7:30 p.m. June 24.

“The Kia SUV was extensively damaged in the collision. The SUV and driver that went into Okanagan Lake have not been located. At this time, the driver is presumed to be deceased and investigators continue to efforts to identify both the SUV and driver,”Constable Solana Pare said.

“The scene of the collision was closed for several hours as investigators collected evidence to assist in determining the cause of the collision and to locate the SUV,” Pare said. “West Kelowna RCMP, the RCMP Underwater Recovery Team and Central Okanagan Search and Rescue continue efforts to locate the driver and the submerged vehicle. For the safety of our divers and search team, we remind the public to remain away from the area of our search.”

Anyone with any information about the collision is asked to contact the Kelowna RCMP at 250-768-2880.

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Original story

Police were on the scene of a serious motor vehicle crash on Westside Road Thursday night.

Witnesses tell Vernon Matters one vehicle was in the ditch and another was reported to be “in the lake.”

Traffic was stopped in both directions.

Crash on Westside Road June 24 (Photo credit: Dean Broughton)

Vernon Matters has reached out to RCMP for details.