A woman from the Okanagan has been charged with impaired driving following a fatal crash on Highway 97 in Oliver last year. Vanessa Lameiras, 30, faces multiple charges after a nine-month investigation by B.C. highway patrol.

The incident occurred on July 31, 2024, when a grey Toyota Echo collided with a white Ford Explorer near Road 21. According to police, the Ford Explorer was traveling north when it crossed the center line and struck the southbound Toyota Echo head-on. The driver of the Echo, a 39-year-old woman, was killed in the crash.

Lameiras was arrested exactly one year after the incident. She is charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and two counts of impaired operation causing death. Authorities allege that alcohol and drugs, including methamphetamines, were present in her system at the time of the crash.

Cpl. Michael McLaughlin emphasized the importance of thorough investigations, stating, "Thorough investigations take time, and it’s important that the community is updated when they are complete. We hope the court process brings some measure of closure to the family and friends of the victim."

Lameiras is scheduled to appear in Penticton provincial court on August 20.