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A 50-year-old Vancouver Island woman is dead after her vehicle left the Island Highway, plunged down an embankment and into the Salmon River.

The crash occurred late Thursday evening near the community of Sayward.

According to police, the vehicle crossed the centre line, left the road, and fell about 45 metres into the river below.

People in the area were able to pull the woman from her vehicle, but attempts to perform CPR were not successful.

“A witness had been following the vehicle and it just gradually veered off, left, and got launched over the embankment,” said Sayward RCMP Cpl. Kim Graham.

“We’re just determine if there was a medical issue with the driver or not.”

                                                                                                                    --Files from CTV Vancouver Island