Three people are uninjured following a single-vehicle crash along Highway 6 near the Slocan Park Co-op on Saturday.
Regional District Central Kootenay assistant fire chief Gord Ihlen said the incident occurred at 6 a.m. when a blue minivan veered off the road, hit a FortisBC power pole and rolled over.
The three occupants were able to escape from the minivan before it burst into flames shortly after the crash.
The crash forced motorists to take a one-kilometre detour on Slocan Valley East Road and back onto Highway 6, which lasted for approximately 30 minutes.
Passmore Fire Department, RCMP, BC Ambulance, Smokey Creek Salvage and FortisBC crews all responded to the crash.
FortisBC crews attended the scene to assess damages to their pole from the minivan, according to Ihlen.
Ihlen said this isn’t the first time a crash has occurred along the section of road.
“In this one-kilometre stretch, we typically have one or two accidents a year,” he said.
“The speed limit along the road drops from 90 km/h to 60 km/h and there are a few turns that you need to slow down for. I’m not too sure if speed caused this accident, but it definitely has been an issue in the past.”
Electronic speed signs posted along the section of road have recently helped slow motorists down, Ihlen said.
Ihlen said he’s proud of all the crews that responded swiftly and professionally to the crash.
“I think this was an amazing response by the fire department. Crews did an excellent job and were able to put the fire out really quickly,” said Ihlen.
“They also attended to the occupants quickly to make sure they were being taken care of. From a regional standpoint, I think they did a really good job.”
The RCMP investigation into the crash remains ongoing.
READ MORE: Highway 6 upgrades moving ahead
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