A truck driver is warning other members of his industry to be more cautious after almost witnessing a serious collision between two big rigs — and narrowly avoiding getting clipped himself.
Jamin Garner posted dashcam video to Facebook on Thursday shortly after the incident happened on Highway 5 just south of Avola, B.C., which sits 190 kilometres north of Kamloops.
The video shows a semi passing Garner’s vehicle in the oncoming lane, which he told Global News he didn’t notice until the truck was beside him.
Moments later, the truck swerves back into the southbound lane, barely missing another semi coming towards it.
Garner slammed on his brakes and flashed his lights to signal the driver, but the offending truck is seen heading down the road at a high rate of speed.
“From a career standpoint I don’t think it’s a very smart choice for these people to make,” he said. “No load is worth your life.”
Garner contacted the company that owns the truck and complained but says he never heard back. It wasn’t until he tagged the company on his Facebook post when it responded in the comments section.
“Jamin, we really appreciate you posting this and bringing it to our attention,” a representative from the company commented. “We have contacted the office this tractor pulls from and sent this post as well as all the comments to the manager for this region.”
Other truck drivers appeared to comment on the video and share their own close encounters with the same truck, which they appeared to recognize.
Garner, who regularly drives between Kelowna and Edmonton and has travelled Highway 5 multiple times, says he sees similar close calls “at least twice a week.”
“I’m not a huge fan of it,” he said. “I’ve got a family to come home to, and when you have to slam on the brakes like that to make sure two people don’t collide, you pretty much know that if they do, you’re going to be a part of it.”
He wants this driver and others to take fewer chances on the roads and slow down in general, but he’s worried they’re not getting the message.
“I guess a couple nights later the same driver was witnessed driving at high rates of speed down the highway again,” he said.
Garner says his video has also been shared with the Ministry of Transportation.
RCMP have not yet confirmed if they are investigating the incident or the offending driver.
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