A motor vehicle incident on the Trans-Canada Highway east of the Rogers Pass summit has closed the highway between Revelstoke and Golden on Saturday morning.
DriveBC hasn’t yet forecast a re-opening time, and will update the situation again at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
For updates on highway re-opening, see the DriveBC incident website.
UPDATE, 2:20 p.m.
DriveBC is estimating the highway will re-open between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. DriveBC will update the road situation at 2:30 p.m.
Preliminary reports indicate multiple serious injuries in the crash.
UPDATE, 6:45 p.m.
The Trans-Canada has re-opened, with ongoing delays due to a traffic backlog.
RCMP Sgt. Mike Pears of the Trans-Canada East Traffic Services provided some basic information on the incident in a media release.
Two vehicle travelling in opposite directions collided just east of the Tupper Timber snow shed.
Three people were transported to hospital in serious condition following the crash.
RCMP collision re-construction experts were called to the scene to investigate.
In a media release, Pears said police wouldn’t be providing further information until a later time.
UPDATE, 1:20 a.m., Aug. 18
Investigators say the three individuals seriously injured in the crash were all Calgary-area residents. Two were transported to a Calgary hospital, while the third is being treated at a Kelowna hospital.
While the investigation into the incident continues, RCMP are calling the head-on collision preventable.
Sgt. Pears said the crash involved two pickup trucks. Witnesses told police the driver of an eastbound pickup lost control, crossed over into the westbound lanes and struck an oncoming pickup.
In a statement, police alluded to problematic driving, noting the posted speed limit at the location of the crash was 70 km/h.
“The RCMP wish to remind the travelling public that traffic volumes are very heavy during this time of year and it’s important to leave yourself extra time to get to your destination,” Sgt. Pears said in a statement. “These types of collisions are preventable; this is an unnecessary tragedy.”
Pears also appealed for patience from the travelling public, saying investigators work to get the road open as soon as possible.
The RCMP are also asking any witnesses to contact Cpl. Jeff Watson of the Trans-Canada East Traffic Services at 250-344-2221.
The collision closed the Trans-Canada Highway for over six hours on a busy summer Saturday; traffic through the section was slowed for many hours after that as the backlog of traffic cleared.
