Nova Scotia

Driver, 82, charged in fatal crash after attempting U-turn on Highway 101

One man died and a woman was seriously injured in the crash in Falmouth, N.S., on Tuesday

One man died and a woman was seriously injured in the crash in Falmouth, N.S., Tuesday

An RCMP vehicle is pictured.
RCMP have charged a woman after a fatal crash in Falmouth, N.S., on Tuesday afternoon. (David Bell/CBC)

An 82-year-old woman has been charged after police say she tried to make a U-turn on Highway 101 in Falmouth, N.S., resulting in a series of events that killed one man and seriously injured a woman.

RCMP say just before 1 p.m. on Tuesday, the woman, who is from West Hants, was driving east on Highway 101 in a white car when she attempted a U-turn across the highway.

An 82-year-old man driving a grey car was also heading east on the highway, and swerved to avoid the woman's car. The man, also from West Hants, lost control of his vehicle and crashed. He suffered life-threatening injuries and was rushed to hospital, but was pronounced dead a short time later.

A third vehicle travelling westbound on the highway collided with the white car making the U-turn, according to police. The 63-year-old driver of the third vehicle, a woman from Dartmouth, suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to hospital.

The woman making the turn fled the scene and was found on nearby Payzant Bog Road, according to police. 

She was not injured, and was arrested and charged with dangerous operation of a conveyance causing death, dangerous operation of a conveyance causing bodily harm and failure to remain at the scene of an accident. She was released on conditions that included she is not allowed to drive a motor vehicle.

She will appear in Windsor provincial court at a later date.

Police are continuing to investigate the collisions.

Highway 101 was closed for several hours.