Roadways prove treacherous in the Sicamous area

The Sicamous RCMP were kept busy as there were five serious motor-vehicle accidents in five days between Dec. 10 and 15.

At 6:30 a.m. on Dec. 10, the RCMP were on the scene of a rollover on the Trans-Canada Highway near the Silver Sands Road intersection. The driver of an eastbound pickup truck lost control of the vehicle due to the slippery conditions and crashed into the ditch before rolling. The driver, a 63-year-old man from Enderby was not injured and no charges were laid in relation to the incident.

Only two hours after the rollover at Silver Sands Road, the RCMP rushed to the scene of another single-vehicle collision. A westbound mini-van suffered extensive damage after crossing the centre line and crashing into a concrete barrier next to the eastbound lane near Bernie Road. The driver, a 49-year-old Sicamous resident complained of back and neck pain. Officers noted the van was equipped with adequate snow tires and the driver was not charged in relation to the incident.

On Tuesday, Dec. 11 at 3:30 p.m. the RCMP were called to a crash near the intersection of Riverside Road and Highway 97A. A semi truck was found in the ditch alongside the northbound lane of the highway, with the trailer it was towing blocking the highway. The driver told police his trailer locked up suddenly causing him to jack-knife into the ditch. The highway was closed for a short period of time until the truck and trailer could be towed from the scene. Officers noted that road conditions were good at the time of the incident.

Early in the morning on Dec. 15 an eastbound semi truck crashed into the ditch near the rest stop west of Sicamous on the Trans-Canada Highway. The single-vehicle accident occurred at approximately 3:30 a.m. Police found no evidence that the driver had applied his brakes before he crossed over onto the soft shoulder. The driver admitted he had fallen asleep at the wheel and was issued a ticket for driving without consideration. The trailer full of groceries was unloaded by a local towing company before the wreck was removed.

Another single-vehicle accident on the same stretch of highway on Dec. 12 also involved a semi truck, which reduced the highway to single-lane alternating traffic.

Related:Video: Truck crashes into ditch west of Sicamous