A major crash closed the Coquihalla Highway northbound, about 22 kilometres south of Kamloops, Sunday morning. The highway is now open to single-lane traffic, but motorists should expect delays in the area.
Multiple vehicles were involved in the crash and one vehicle went down the embankment on the side of the highway. The BC Ambulance Service responded with four ambulances and one air ambulance.
Eight people were injured, one critical, and all of them were transported to hospital via ground ambulance. The air ambulance was not used. Two people are described to be in stable condition and five received non-life threatening injuries.
It has been a dangerous day on the Coquihalla Highway. A total of 13 patients were taken to hospital in three separate crashes.
Aside from the one near Lac Le Jeune, described above, two people were taken to hospital after their vehicle rolled over near Desmond Lake at 12:51 p.m.
Further south from that accident, a multi-vehicle crash sent three people to hospital in stable condition.
PHOTOS: From the crash about 22 kilometres south of Kamloops:
Motorists on the Sea-to-Sky Highway also experienced delays Sunday morning due to a small rock slide.
A number of rocks came down onto the highway, hitting vehicles.
Cameron Chung’s car was hit by some of the falling rocks when he was on his way to Garibaldi Lake.
“We were driving on Highway 99 and some rocks, all of a sudden, from the side of the mountain fell onto the road and the car in front of me, you could see sparks,” he said.
“And then it was already too late. In my mind, I just wanted to avoid getting into a huge accident, making sure everyone was safe.”
Rocks hit the underside of Chung’s car, causing him to swerve. Luckily, he was able to control the car and pull over.
“It was pretty scary. There’s nothing you can really do at that time.”
He said, in his opinion, if you are in an accident on a major highway don’t stand beside your car. Move to the side and make sure everyone is safe.
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