UPDATE: 12 p.m.
Samer Shehadeh was at work when he received a phone call that there was something wrong at his home.
His mother-in-law was in a panic barely making out words while trying to explain what had happened, saying there was smoke, and that she and the baby were trapped.
She had been upstairs putting the baby down for a nap when the whole house shook.
“I called 911 and they told me a semi-truck hit my house and I went into panic mode,” he said. “I got here and they were on the balcony…that was the first thing I was worried about, how is my son, how is my mother-in-law.”
Shehadeh’s mother also rushed to the scene, however, when she saw the semi into the home she collapsed and had to be taken to hospital.
“She wasn’t part of this accident, but obviously the emotional impact,” he said. “Everyone is OK, our two boys are at school and don’t know what happened yet. My youngest who was home, is OK, he is one year old, and his birthday was yesterday.”
Deputy Fire Chief Dwight Seymour said reports came in just before 10:30 a.m. that a vehicle had driven into a structure. Once on scene firefighters discovered it was a semi-truck that had crashed into a home and the driver was stuck in the cab of the vehicle.
A rescue crew then arrived on scene and safely extracted the driver. He was taken to hospital with undetermined injuries.
Crews then jumped into action to rescue Shehadeh’s mother-in-law and his son from a second-floor balcony.
“We put a ladder up to get them down the back balcony and they were the only two inside…. no injuries at all,” said Seymour.
Shehadeh’s wife was also not at home when the incident happened, she along with her mother, Samer and their three children will be placed in the care of Emergency Social Services, as the structural integrity of the home is not known.
Yet, this isn’t the first time there have been vehicle incidents at the corner of Cameron Avenue and Gordon Drive, collisions that Shehadeh took to social media about, asking people to slow down.
“This is wild, just a couple of days ago I was talking to my family and I said I hope no one hits our house on this busy corner and then it happens,” he said.
Shehadeh isn’t sure when his family will be able to return home, but for now, he is glad everyone is safe, including the driver of the truck who had to be rescued from the cab of the semi.
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UPDATE: 11:20 a.m.
Five residents and a baby of a home that was smashed into by a semi, Tuesday morning, must be placed in the care of Emergency Social Services.
The semi remains lodged into the side of the house which is apart of the Cameron Mews development off Gordon Drive.
The driver was safely extracted from the semi-truck cab and appeared to be uninjured.
According to a witness named Patrica who was driving next to the semi, northbound on Gordon Drive, she said she slowed down as the truck started to turn onto Cameron Avenue, however, it drove right past her and into the home.
It’s unclear what the structural integrity of the building is at this time.
FortisBC is on scene as well as BC Ambulance, fire and police.
Traffic is slow going in the area as Gordon Drive remains partially blocked by emergency crews.
A Kelowna family is shaken up but alright after a semi truck crashed into their home at Gordon Drive and Cameron Avenue Tuesday morning. #kelownacapnews pic.twitter.com/kpttHl4cx4
— Gary Barnes (@GaryBarnes109) April 11, 2023
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UPDATE: 10:56 a.m.
Fire crews managed to safely extract the driver out of the cab of a flatbed semi-truck after it crashed into a home at Cameron Mews, off Gordon Drive.
Firefighters were able to put a ladder up to the second floor and rescue a woman and a baby, who were trapped on the deck of the home. One firefighter took the child and gently climbed down the ladder, then placing the baby into a waiting relative’s arms. Clapping could be heard from witnesses who were on scene.
Kelowna firefighters rescue baby and mother trapped on balcony after semi crashes into home. #kelownacapnews pic.twitter.com/jsScGhGRoM
— Gary Barnes (@GaryBarnes109) April 11, 2023
Both the woman and child seemed unharmed.
Crews are now assessing the structural integrity of the residence.
Semi truck crashes into a home at Gordon and Cameron in Kelowna. pic.twitter.com/HC3L1dCYU6
— Gary Barnes (@GaryBarnes109) April 11, 2023
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A semi-truck has crashed through a home at Cameron Avenue and Gordon Drive.
There are reports a baby and a woman trapped on the deck of the home. Emergency crews are on the scene.
The incident happened just before 10:30 a.m.
The driver of the truck is stuck in the cab of the vehicle. An assessment must be conducted on the home before crews can enter the home.
It’s unclear what caused the semi to crash into the home.
Capital News has a reporter headed to the scene. More to come.
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