Commuters lost up to two hours of their day Tuesday, due to a three car fender bender.
Both West Kelowna RCMP and Kelowna RCMP responded to a report of a collision involving three vehicles on the William R. Bennett Bridge, just prior to 7 a.m. Tuesday morning.
“Initial reports by witnesses at the scene indicated that vehicles involved in the collision sustained heavy damage and that all vehicles and their drivers involved in the crash remained at the scene,” said Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey, in a press release.
“Witnesses also reported that a trailer attached to one of the vehicles involved became unhitched.”
Protrans employees were first on scene and assisted with traffic control duties.
O’Donaghey said RCMP would like to remind drivers to remain focussed on their driving at all times.
“Often times motorists become distracted by the aftermath at a collision scene and fail to maintain a safe distance from the vehicle in front of them, or miss the directions be given by a flag person directing traffic around that collision scene,” he sazid. “While responding to this particular collision, police learned of a second incident in the opposite lane of travel on the bridge.”
O’Donaghey said due to the time of day and location of these two traffic incidents, it did not take long for highway traffic to back up in all directions.
“This also posed a challenge for emergency crews responding to the collision scenes, as well as the tow trucks necessary to clear the collision scene once the collision investigations were complete by RCMP at the scene,” said O’Donaghey.
MAY 22, 2018
Tuesday morning commuters headed into Kelowna from West Kelowna via Highway 97 are reporting long delays.
Earlier in the morning, two different incidents were reported along Highway 97 before the W.R. Bennett Bridge — which is leading to a traffic back up in the northbound lanes to Bartley Road.
One driver is reporting it could take an hour and a half to travel from Westlake Road to Orchard Park Mall.
Westside Road is also experiencing delays as drivers try to find an alternate route into Kelowna.
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