A Summerland woman died Monday after her vehicle slid off an icy Hwy. 97 Monday morning.
Sgt. Harold Hallett of the South Okanagan Traffic Services said extremely icy conditions on Jan. 4 caused the 42-year-old driver, southbound on Highway 97 near Sage Mesa, to lose control of her Honda CRV and slide into the frigid waters of the lake.
The unidentified woman was trapped inside the vehicle for some time before being freed by members of Penticton Fire Rescue. She was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries, but Hallet later reported that she died at Penticton Regional Hospital.
The RCMP also reported several bystanders immediately entered the lake to assist the driver and were treated for hypothermia.
The extremely icy conditions also prompted RCMP to close a portion of Highway 97 between Trout Creek and Penticton to traffic Monday.