Multiple accidents prompt travel advisory on Coquihalla between Merritt and Kamloops

ABOVE: After weeks of no rain, the skies opened up in the Thompson area – creating traffic chaos on a section of the Coquihalla Highway. As Jeremy Hunka reports, that wasn’t the only trouble spot.

It’s been a dangerous day on the Coquihalla Highway.

After weeks of no rain, the skies opened up in the region on Sunday, creating traffic chaos on a section of Highway 5.

More than a dozen people were taken to hospital after multiple crashes.

There is currently a travel advisory on the Coquihalla Highway, between Merritt and Kamloops, due to melting hail.

A multi-vehicle accident north of Helmer at about 5:45 p.m. closed the highway in both directions again on Sunday. It is now open to single lane traffic each way.

A major crash at about 12 p.m. closed the highway in both directions for a few hours 22 kilometres south of Kamloops, near Lac Le Jeune. Eight people were injured, one critical, and all of them were transported to hospital via ground ambulance. Two people are described to be in stable condition and five received non-life threatening injuries.

“There was a minor collision between two vehicles and then kind of a domino effect thereafter where there were multiple vehicles and heavy traffic in very poor conditions,” says Cpl. Brian O’Callaghan with Kamloops RCMP.

He says a significant storm cell moved through the region causing slick roads.

PHOTOS: From the crash about 22 kilometres south of Kamloops:

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.

But the Coquihalla Highway was not the only dangerous road in the province today.

A serious crash north of Clinton closed Highway 97 in both directions for three-and-a-half hours on Sunday. The road is now open to single lane alternating traffic.

Cpl. Brandon Buliziuk with Clinton RCMP says two vehicles collided head-on and then hit a third vehicle around 1:48 p.m. One driver was seriously hurt and had to be airlifted to hospital. Their condition is unknown at this time. The two other drivers were shaken up, but did not need medical treatment.

Heavy rain is believed to be a factor in this crash.

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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.