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Revelstoke residents outraged, demand safety after Highway 1 crash

The crash occurred on April 2nd at Victoria Rd. and Highway 1
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(Black Press file photo)

A Revelstoke community Facebook post garnered some attention last week after someone posted about a crash that occurred between a pickup truck and semi-truck at Highway 1 and Victoria Rd. intersection, on April 2.

RCMP confirmed a semi-truck travelling eastbound on Highway 1 struck a small pickup truck.

The incident caused an area resident to take to social media with concern over the speed that semi-trucks travel while passing through Revelstoke and questioned whether there was more that could be done to keep the speeds in check.

“I think it’s disgusting how fast some trucks blow through this town. I have as little disregard to their ‘scheduled time frame’ as these people have for the safety of the people that live in this town,” read the post.

In just a few short hours, the post had hundreds of interactions, including more than 100 comments — many of which echoed the original poster’s concerns.

Among those commenting was Jesse Foster, who happened to be at lights next to the pickup truck that was struck, on April 2.

“I honestly thought he was dead. Like when I went and looked at him, both his eyes were open. He was slouched over on the bench seat of his truck. And no movement — didn’t look like he was breathing,” said Foster of the driver after the incident. As he walked towards the smashed pickup truck, Foster warned the 911 operator that it was ‘most likely’ a fatality.

Foster explained what he witnessed that day, saying while waiting in the turning lane, he watched as the semi-truck crossed the bridge and continued towards the intersection.

He noted that it was a Sunday evening and the roads were dry. When the lights, Foster was waiting at, turned green, the pickup truck beside him began to creep forward into the intersection. Foster said he glanced up the hill eastbound, then eastward in the direction of the bridge. The semi-truck driver was not slowing, so Foster hit his horn to warn the neighbouring vehicle, but it was too late.

“He (pickup truck driver) actually went under the last set of tires on the trailer,” said Foster.

Foster watched as the pickup did two full spins from the impact while the driver was “rag-dolled” around the cab.

After the pickup came to a halt, Foster walked up to the truck as the driver regained consciousness. The driver of the pickup was brought to Queen Victoria Hospital initially before having to be transported to Kamloops for further medical treatment. His injuries included broken ribs, a collapsed lung and a broken neck.

RCMP stated the driver of the commercial vehicle was given a citation for Section 125 of the Motor Vehicle Act for “Fail to obey a traffic control device.”

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However, incidents like the one on April 2 are all too common according to Foster.

“The very next day, the exact same thing happened. I was actually at the next set of lights,” he said.

Thankfully, no one was caught in the intersection the next day, but Foster was not alone in his observation of how frequently incidents occur on that stretch of road. Several commenters on the original post shared similar examples of collisions ranging from recent months, to several years ago.

The Ministry of Transportation said in a statement that it is aware of the community’s concerns regarding that stretch of highway. Local staff for the ministry are working with the Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement Branch (CVSE) to address speeding and traffic infractions. The Ministry of Transportation said that the enforcement activity includes the Victoria Rd. and Highway 1 intersection.

Foster said he’d be happy to see the local conversation around highway safety continue.

“It really kind of got me on board that. If there was some sort of change to the town, or if there was talk about what we can do, I would want to be a part of it because I really think it’s unacceptable.”

Anyone who spots a dangerous driver can contact CVSE’s reporting line at 1 888 775-8785 or at CVSEgeneralinquiry@gov.bc.ca.

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@ZacharyDelaney
zach.delaney@revelstokereview.com

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