Central Okanagan

Two people are dead and two others are in critical condition at Kelowna General Hospital after the truck they were driving in lost control and rolled over numerous times on Princeton Avenue in Peachland Thursday night.

Photo: Contributed

Mike Baxter and Delanie Smith were killed late Thursday night when the 1995 Chevrolet pickup they were driving crashed on Princeton Ave. in Peachland.

The driver of the truck, 20-year-old Mike Baxter, and 17-year-old passenger Delanie Smith were pronounced dead at the scene.

The two other passengers suffered serious injuries in the roll-over.

A 19-year-old man from Peachland is reported to be in serious condition while a 16-year-old West Kelowna girl is reported to be critical.

Friends and classmates have begun an impromptu memorial at the scene of the crash and tributes to the pair have been pouring in on Facebook since news of the tragedy broke.

S.V. writes: "Woke up this morning to one of the worst texts I have ever received. You are so loved and greatly missed."

K.M. says: "I honestly hope you guys rest in paradise. My prayers are with you guys."

From A.R.: "Some people move our souls to dance. They awaken us to new understandings with the passing whisper of their wisdom. Some people make the sky more beautiful to gaze upon. They stay in our lives for awhile, leave footprints in our heart and we are never the same."

From S.C.: "Best friends since we were all babies. I can't believe this, my heart is breaking."

A.B. writes: "I love you both...your both in a much better place. RIP"

Emergency crews were called out at 10:53 p.m.

RCMP Sgt. Brian Nightingale says the 1995 Chevrolet pickup truck was travelling west on Princeton Avenue at the time of the crash.

Photo: Contributed - Facebook

Mike Baxter in happier times with Ashley Hyatt (L) and later comforting Ashley's mother Charrie.

Nightingale says it appears the truck came off the curve, spun in a counterclockwise rotation and rolled two or three times before it landed upside down.

He says speed relative to conditions may have been a factor.

"It is a gravel road and you have a lot of washboarding. When you are coming off a curve you have a lateral acceleration you need to be able to deal with. He wasn't able to do that and he started to rotate," says Nightingale.

Cst. Kris Clark reports that investigators have now learned that no one was wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash and that two of them were thrown from the vehicle.

In a strange twist of fate Mike Baxter was close friends with West Kelowna teen Ashley Hyatt, who was stabbed to death following a house party in Peachland in June 2010.

Baxter also remained close to the Hyatt family after her tragic death. 

Princeton Ave. crash-Oct 18, 2012

Photo: RCMP

Photo: RCMP

Photo: RCMP

Photo: RCMP

Photo: RCMP

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