A small section of Highway 3 in B.C.’s Interior was temporarily closed on Monday morning because of a fatal incident.
According to police, the single-vehicle crash happened around seven kilometres east of Princeton, with only one person in the car.
The highway was closed as police investigated, and reopened in the early afternoon, with RCMP noting the incident wasn’t considered criminal.
The collision happened just three days after three people were killed in another crash on Highway 3.
Last Friday, two commercial transport trucks collided head on and subsequently caught fire about six kilometres west of Princeton.
The driver and passenger of the westbound truck and the lone driver of the eastbound truck all died.
Further, a third transport truck travelling east was also involved, as it came up to the scene, hit wreckage and rolled over before stopping in the ditch. Police said that driver suffered only minor injuries.
It closed Highway 3 for more than 16 hours.
A fundraiser has been set up for one of the three people who died.
“Police urge all drivers to be extremely vigilant to changing road and weather conditions during their travels,” said B.C. Highway Patrol.
“Weather conditions can change without warning and affect road surface temperatures, causing black ice and slippery conditions which makes driving challenging.”
The highway patrol also noted that while police were on scene, they received a report of another transport truck collision, in Manning Park, east of Eastgate.
According to police, the truck entered a curve above the speed limit, lost control and crashed into a rock face adjacent to the highway. The driver suffered minor injuries.
“British Columbia is in a state of emergency due to heavy rains, flooding, mudslides and washouts that have affected travel into and out of the Lower Mainland of B.C. and the rest of the province,” said B.C. Highway Patrol.
“These collisions resulted in the closure of Highway 3 for over 16 hours, during which time much-needed goods were not getting delivered.”
Police are urging motorists to only travel for essential reasons, noting that with the ongoing closure of the Coquihalla Highway, Highway 3 will see increased commercial vehicle traffic for the foreseeable future.
“Motorists should expect delays and are asked to drive with care, exercise patience and ensure your vehicle is well-maintained and properly equipped with winter tires and/or chains,” said police.
“In addition, ensure you have extra food, water, clothing and a charged cellphone.”
Anyone with information regarding either collision, including any dashcam video, is asked to call B.C. Highway Patrol in Keremeos at 250-499-2250.
For the latest road conditions, visit DriveBC.
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