Spike in accidents as the Okanagan gets hit with another blast of winter weather

Heavy snowfall kept emergency crews very busy over the weekend.

“It was certainly a spike in collisions,” Kelowna RCMP Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey said. “This past weekend alone on Saturday and Sunday, RCMP responded to 38 calls for service to motor vehicle collisions throughout the central Okanagan.”

While the worst of it seems to be over, police were still busy responding to calls on Monday.

“It’s still a steady day for crashes, I think that is mainly attributed to the ice that has accumulated on the roadways,” O’Donaghey said.

The spike in crashes has also meant a spike in business at auto body shops.

“We’ve definitely seen a big spike in business with the snow and the ice,” Methal Abougoush, owner of Boyd Autobody and Glass in Kelowna, said.

Abougoush said the repair shop is already operating at full capacity but more vehicles are expected in the days ahead following this weekend’s heavy snow.

“What we would expect today now is tow trucks to start showing up with vehicles that were unannounced,” Abougoush said.

“They have been in an accident, they have contacted the insurance company and the two trucks have been authorized to take it to a body shop for repair, we will see 10 to 15 tow trucks in an afternoon show up.”

With several more weeks to go before winter is officially over, the police are reminding motorists to remain cautious and drive to the conditions.