PENTICTON, B.C. — Charges have been laid against a 47-year-old California man arising out of an accident on a British Columbia highway that injured several passengers.
The Mounties say four of nine passengers were ejected from the black Ford SUV around noon on Monday when it spun and entered a ditch on Highway 97C east of Merritt.
RCMP say an 11-year-old girl was later flown to a Vancouver-area hospital but is in stable condition, and the driver and his 14-year-old son were taken to a medical facility in Kamloops.
Six other occupants were taken to Merritt, and three of them were transferred to Kelowna for care.
Police say the man is charged with driving without due care and attention, allowing passengers under 16 to be seated without seatbelts, and carrying too many passengers.
Mounties blame the accident on driver inexperience and speed relative to winter conditions, but note all are recovering from their injuries.
Photo: @Gord_Buck , Twitter
