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Wet'suwet'en elder dies in crash near Hope

Wet'suwet'en elder dies in crash near Hope, B.C. in whiteout conditions.
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Beatrice Morris

Beatrice Morris, 71, an elder of the Wet’suwet’en Nation, has passed away after the vehicle she was travelling in collided with another head-on just west of Hope, March 1 on Highway 1.

Morris and two others, Stanley (driver) and Helen Nikal were heading to Vancouver in the Nikal’s 2007 Dodge Caliber, when a 2002 Nissan Pathfinder headed the opposite direction entered their westbound lane.

The Pathfinder had come in contact with a 2001 Isuzu Rodeo, the latter entering the outer ditch, while travelling east on Highway 1 before careening into oncoming traffic.

The Nikal’s and people in the Pathfinder suffered non-life threatening injuries, while the three occupants of the Rodeo were not injured.

Highway 1 was closed for more than three hours to conduct investigation and tow the vehicles following the fatal crash.

White-out conditions were reported on Highway 1 in the area the crash occurred at the time of the incident.

 

* with files from Global News story published March 3, 2014 at 9:29 a.m.