Drivers stuck for almost 8 hours on highway between Golden and Revelstoke

Stranded drivers stuck on Highway 1 between Revelstoke and Golden, B.C., have spent almost eight hours waiting to pass through a police road block after an RCMP officer was shot on Tuesday afternoon.

READ MORE: Suspect in RCMP shooting near Golden, B.C. found dead

Authorities shut down the highway in both directions at about 4 p.m. after an officer was allegedly shot while processing a vehicle at a traffic stop.

Police say they were stopping traffic in connection with a possible theft when the driver of a stopped vehicle failed to comply with police direction, shot a female officer, and fled in a stolen car.

A manhunt for the suspect quickly began and all traffic on the 122-kilometre stretch of highway between Golden and Revelstoke was blocked.

With temperatures dipping to -1 C by 11:30 p.m. and an estimated low of -6 C overnight, drivers and passengers stuck in their vehicles in the remote area were feeling tired, hungry, and cold.

One driver, Bill Doskoch, had been waiting for hours. He told Global News he and his passengers had some apples, but no water.

“It’s getting cold, but we luckily packed a sleeping bag.”

Another driver added they were cold and could use a bathroom and water.

Frustration at the scene was mounting with many complaining police were not communicating to them what was going on or when they might be able to get moving.

Traffic slowly began to move around 8:30 p.m., but people in the area said police were only letting about two vehicles through at a time after searching them.

DriveBC, operated by the B.C. Ministry of Transportation, reported the highway remained closed in both directions with no word on when it might reopen.

Some at the scene said word is circulating that they may be stuck all night.