22-year-old woman dead after head-on crash near Arnold's Cove

Police are investigating whether impaired driving played a role in a head-on collision that killed a 22-year-old woman on the Trans-Canada Highway near Arnold's Cove on Sunday. (CBC)

Police are investigating whether impaired driving played a role in a head-on collision that killed a 22-year-old woman on the Trans-Canada Highway near Arnold's Cove over the weekend.

Clareville RCMP officers responded to the crash shortly after 3:15 p.m. on Sunday. The woman was driving a Hyundai Elantra, which collided with a Chevrolet Equinox SUV, the RCMP said Monday in a news release.

Police say the woman died at the scene, while a 22-year-old passenger was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The SUV began burning following the crash. The driver, a 71-year-old man, was rescued by bystanders.

Police say the man was seriously injured and showed signs of impairment, which led to an arrest and a blood sample being taken.

Both the man and the passenger inside the Hyundai were taken to the hospital in Clarenville, but were transferred to the Health Sciences Centre in St. John's.

The RCMP said it's awaiting the results of the man's blood sample and he could face charges of impaired driving causing death if appropriate.

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