Police urge seatbelt use following fatal Taylor Bridge crash

Jan 8, 2018 | 8:52 AM

RCMP are cautioning residents about the dangers of not wearing a seatbelt after a teenager was killed Friday morning in an accident on the Taylor Bridge.

The young Dawson Creek man — whose name and age aren’t being released — was the lone occupant in the single-vehicle crash.

“He had no belt on, and he was ejected from the vehicle when it rolled,” said Sgt. Tim Paulmert of the RCMP’s Peace Region Traffic Services division.

He says slippery road conditions and mechanical defects could have caused the crash.

“But we cannot yet rule out speed or mechanical defects as factors,” he said.

The bridge was closed to traffic at 2 a.m. Friday morning and re-opened at 9:30 a.m.

Paulmert hopes people can heed some advice out of this tragedy.

“We would remind people to always wear their seatbelts. They’re designed to keep people inside their cars to prevent incidents like this,” he said.

“We hope people driving will assess conditions, be aware of their surroundings and know changes in roads can be just around the corner.”

by Jordan Parker