A Dec. 26 automobile accident in Delta, B.C. injured a Clinton resident and took the life of her sister, a former South Whidbey resident.

Sarah Mayer, 23, and Tiffany Mayer, 18, were on their way back from Point Roberts with Sarah’s fiance, Tyler Marcus Winchester, 23, the day after Christmas when the fatal accident occurred. The three were returning from a visit with Sarah and Tiffany’s parents, Valerie and Thomas Mayer, who were residents of Freeland until they moved to Point Roberts in November, 2003.

According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the accident occurred at approximately 11:30 a.m. Dec. 26 at the intersection of Highway 17 and 56th Street in Delta.

RCMP Constable Julie Agnew, the investigating officer in the incident, said the accident began when Tiffany Mayer entered the intersection on a red light. She said Mayer was driving a 1992 Ford Tempo north on 56th Street when the car collided with a 1993 Ford Explorer southbound on Highway 17.

Both Sarah Mayer and Winchester died at the scene. Tiffany Mayer and a passenger from the Ford Explorer were airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital. Three other passengers in the Ford Explorer were also transported to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The driver of the Ford Explorer was not injured.

On Monday, Tiffany Mayer was listed in critical but stable condition at Vancouver General. According to her mother, Valerie Mayer, Tiffany remained unconscious as of Monday afternoon.

According to her mother, Sarah was a 1999 graduate of Bayview High School. In addition to attending Job Corps in Sedro-Woolley, she was attending Skagit Valley College and worked for Ashley Gardens, an Alzheimer’s and dementia care residence. The day before, Christmas Day, her boyfriend, Winchester, had proposed to her.

Tiffany Mayer works for Neil’s Clover Patch Cafe in Bayview, and lives in Clinton, according to Valerie Mayer.

Winchester was also attending Job Corps and living in Sedro-Woolley. He was originally from Sandy, Ore.

Highway 17 was closed for all southbound traffic following the accident, which made it difficult for people to reach the nearby Tsawwassen ferry terminal, according to the RCMP. Alcohol was not a factor in the collision.