A female motorist in her 40s has died after her vehicle collided with a transport truck on Highway 22 near Genelle on Thursday, Nov. 19.
The woman was initially airlifted to a Vancouver hospital with life-threatening injuries shortly after the collision.
RCMP West Kootenay Traffic Services (WKTS) Cpl. Chad Badry said the incident occurred around 12:45 p.m. when the woman was driving southbound. Her vehicle suddenly swerved into the oncoming lane and hit the truck.
The female motorist had to be extracted from her vehicle due to severe damages it sustained from the crash. A man in his 50s was driving the transport truck and sustained minor injuries.
The two drivers were the only occupants in their vehicles during the crash.
While the exact cause of the crash is still being investigated, the RCMP has ruled out impaired driving as a potential factor.
The crash caused the highway to be closed in both directions for over six hours.
“We finally ended up clearing the crash scene at approximately 7 p.m. It was definitely quite a lengthy closure,” said Badry.
Motorists were able to take a detour through Genelle to bypass the crash scene.
“We were extremely lucky there was a bypass available because in many cases there isn’t one available for motorists,” said Badry.
Motorists were also being detoured around the crash scene on Friday, Nov. 20 as crews retrieved the overturned transport truck.
“We need to remind drivers to stay focused on the road and drive within the posted speed limit,” said Badry.
WKTS has taken over the investigation and any witnesses or those with dashcam footage of the crash are asked to call them at 250-354-5180.
B.C. Ministry of Transportation, Canadian Vehicle Safety Enforcement, BC Ambulance Service, local fire department and RCMP members all responded to the crash.
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