A Kamloops who woman lost control of her van near Peters Road west of Hope was rushed to hospital Monday afternoon after sliding into a ditch.
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February 11, 2014 - 9:49 AM
KAMLOOPS — A 43-year-old Kamloops teacher is confirmed dead after a car crash near Hope on Monday.
School District 73 Supt. Terry Sullivan confirmed this afternoon that Jennifer Swan, a Grade 2/3 teacher integral to the establishment of Beattie School of Arts, was killed in the crash just west of Hope.
"We were informed shortly after 8 this morning... one of our teachers had passed away," Sullivan says. "It's a great tragedy for her family, a great loss as a school district."
RCMP initially thought she was driving but have since said the driver was her 42-year-old husband. He was driving the 2007 Toyota minivan when he lost control in slush while attempting to pass another vehicle. The van left the roadway and came to a stop on its side and partially submerged in a slough.
Her husband and their two boys, aged 11 and eight, were able to escape unharmed but Swan was submerged and lost consciousness. She was cut out of her seatbelt and removed and while emergency personnel were able to restore her pulse, she succumbed to her injuries at Royal Columbian Hospital.
RCMP say weather and road conditions were contributing factors and have not yet ruled out speed, vehicle mechanics or driver error. Visibility was also poor when passing due to vehicle spray.
The school district brought in counsellors to help staff and students deal with the tragedy, Sullivan says, adding they will be available to both campuses over the next couple days.
"She was a dance teacher, I'm sure every student was connected to or touched by her over the years," he says of the future administrator.
The collision was one of three serious crashes during a three hour period Monday that Fraser Valley Traffic Services attended to. In total three individuals were killed and several others, including a Kamloops man, were seriously injured.
Fraser Valley Traffic Services are continuing their investigation and anyone that witnessed the collision is asked to contact lead investigator Const. Blair Fuller at 604-702-4039.
To contact a reporter for this story, email jstahn@infotelnews.ca, call (250)819-3723 or tweet @JennStahn.
-This story was updated at 11:19 a.m., Feb. 11, 2014.
-This story was updated at 3:47 p.m., Feb. 11, 2014 with the name of the deceased and quotes from the school district.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014