Highway 97 was closed for two-and-a-half hours because power lines stretched across all the four lanes after a sports utility vehicle (SUV) crashed into a power pole three kilometres north of Lac la Hache, Dec. 4.
100 Mile House RCMP members attended the scene and report the male driver of the SUV likely fell asleep at the wheel before heading into the west ditch and hitting the pole. However, they are still investigating the incident.
The crash that knocked the power pole down occurred around 2:35 p.m., which was immediately followed by a Volkswagen Beetle that struck several still-live wires extended right across the highway.
Lac la Hache Volunteer Fire Department (LLHVFD) responded with two trucks and six firefighters, and took charge of the rescue scene.
100 Mile House Fire-Rescue initially dispatched two trucks and four members at 2:41 p.m., but cancelled the Rescue 11 truck when chief Darrell Blades arrived first in the command truck and saw the LLHVFD members had the situation under control.
Blades says rescue crews stayed the required safe distance away from the live wires until BC Hydro technicians arrived and disabled and detached the power lines.
Meanwhile, both drivers were treated for minor injuries at the scene by BC Ambulance Services personnel and then released.
Blades explains the power pole happened to be one connecting lines to another pole across the highway, which is why the wires spanned all the lanes.
The highway was fully reopened to traffic by 5 p.m.
