A slippery road and poor tires led to a highway crash that sent an elderly woman to hospital Wednesday.

The 80-year-old Sorrento resident was heading north with a man driving a Ford Taurus on Highway 97 north of Oyama. The man, 50, tried to overtake a transit bus heading to Vernon and lost control as the snow fell about 1:20 p.m.

The car slid out and struck the back of the bus before it careened over the meridian and crossed the southbound lanes. No other vehicles hit it, but the Taurus drove into the ditch near Crystal Waters Road.

Emergency crews extracted the woman, who was hurt but talking. Her companion was slightly injured and joined her in the ambulance for the drive to Kelowna General Hospital. There was no word on her condition three hours later, but she's expected to survive.

Neither wore a seatbelt, said RCMP Cpl. Tania Carroll. The car had all-season tires that were fairly worn.

At least 20 passengers were on the bus. None were injured.

Wednesday's snowfall was the first in nearly two weeks.

"They were slippery road conditions and fairly treacherous. People are driving like they're bare," said Carroll.
The car is a write-off.