Distracted driving and not wearing a seat belt were factors in the death of a young local man killed in a single-vehicle rollover while on his way to work at Tabor Mountain Ski Resort, the B.C. Coroners Service has concluded.
Logan John Roy Whitmer, 19, died April 25, 2013 when he failed to negotiate a curve 15 kilometres east of Prince George on Highway 16.
An RCMP collision analyst found he was going just 67 to 74 km/h in a 100 km/h zone and the road surface, although old asphalt, was clean and dry. It was still daylight, the sky was overcast and the temperature was 12 C.
But a cellphone was found in the car Whitmer was driving, a 2004 Pontiac Vibe, and it showed a music file was accessed at the time he had entered the curve.
Whitmer lost control and the car hit the gravel shoulder, went into the ditch, came back out and rolled twice, landing upright on the highway, the coroners service found. Whitmer "was not wearing a seatbelt and was ejected through the driver's door window, landing on his head on the asphalt."
Ambulance personnel were called to the scene at 1:22 p.m. and he pronounced dead at 4:59 p.m. after he was taken to hospital.
Whitmer was remembered as a "special young man" for whom snowboarding played a central role in his life. He had been a snowboard instructor for three years prior to his death and a legacy fund has since been established in his name to maintain Switch, a non-profit program that teaches youth snowboarding skills.
Shred in Peace stickers, designed in Whitmer's memory, are available for $2 each at Tabor and at Ruckus. Proceeds are donated to the Logan Whitmer Legacy Fund.
Those who want to donate directly to the Logan Whitmer Legacy Fund can do so at the Integris Credit Union or c/o 8955 Sutley Road, Prince George, BC V2N 5W2.
