Police in the Lakes District are releasing more information on the fatal motor vehicle incident that claimed one life in Burns Lake last week.
The MVI occurred on Jan. 5 just before 4 p.m. on a long incline known as Hopper's Hill, about four miles south of Burns Lake on the Francois Lake highway, said Staff Sgt. Mike Kisters, commander of the Burns Lake RCMP detachment. Police were called to the scene of a single-vehicle crash, that of a southbound pickup in the ditch.
"Upon police arrival bystanders were attempting to provide first aid to the driver, an 83-year-old male from the Burns Lake area," said Kisters. "The male was the lone occupant of the vehicle. The truck was stuck in the ditch, the engine running at a high speed and rear tires had destroyed themselves from spinning...spinning at a high rate of speed, causing the tires to deflate and tear apart."
The pickup was about 10 metres from the highway when it came to rest. Kisters said witnesses observed the truck travelling in a normal manner until it "suddenly veered off the roadway and into the ditch" for no apparent reason.
Paramedics attended and found the driver unresponsive. All attempts at resuscitation failed and he was pronounced deceased at the scene.
Kisters said, "cause of death appears to be of natural causes," but no specifics were yet determined. More investigation was pending.
