A commercial truck driver sustained critical injuries in a chain-reaction collision along the Trans-Canada Highway on Thursday night, according to Revelstoke RCMP.
Police say the incident happened 35 kilometres east of Revelstoke, at approximately 9:30 p.m., and involved a westbound tractor-trailer that had jackknifed near Canyon Hot Springs. Also involved in the incident were a plow truck and a second westbound tractor-trailer.
The jackknifed tractor-trailer was, according to police, blocking the two eastbound lanes and part of the single, westbound lane.
Police say the driver, a 33-year-old Ontario man and his passenger, a 31-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., exited their jackknifed truck and were standing by the front end of their trailer when an eastbound plow truck arrived on scene.
“While attempting an evasive maneuver to avoid the jackknifed trailer, the trailer of another westbound commercial transport unit separated from its tractor and collided with the trailer of the first truck’s trailer,” said Staff Sgt. Kurt Grabinsky.
“The impact of this secondary collision caused the wreckage to strike both men, and forced the driver into the blade of the plow truck, where he became partially pinned beneath the trailer and the blade of the plow.”
Police say the pinned driver was extricated from the wreckage and transported to hospital with critical injuries. They added that the driver is expected to be transported to larger hospital for additional medical care.
Police also said the passenger was transported to hospital with minor non-life-threatening injuries.
Road conditions were slushy, police say, with wet snow falling. Concrete barriers along that stretch also sustained significant damage.
The highway was closed for several hours while the scene was investigated and vehicles were removed. It reopened at approximately 5 a.m. on Friday.
Police issued a reminder for drivers to operate their vehicles at a rate of speed appropriate for road conditions.
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