Update: 3:30 p.m.
RCMP in Lake Country are continuing their investigation into a collision between two commercial vehicles, which took place early Monday morning in Lake Country.
Just after 8 a.m. this morning, RCMP were called to assist BC Ambulance Service who were reportedly attending to a collision between a school bus and another commercial vehicle at the intersection of Okanagan Centre Road East and Oceola Road in Lake Country.
Police learned from independent witnesses at the scene, that the school bus had entered into the intersection from a stopped position, northbound on Okanagan Centre Road East, when it struck the driver’s side of a dump truck which had been travelling west bound along Oceola Road.
The force of the impact caused extensive damage to the front end of the yellow International school bus and sent the white International dump truck off the roadway into the ditch along Oceola Road.
Both drivers were examined at the scene by emergency paramedics. The driver of the school bus, a Lake Country man in his sixties, was transported to hospital for further medical assessment and treatment of injuries believed to be non-life threatening in nature.
There were no students on board the school bus at the time of this collision.
“It was certainly quite fortunate that the bus operator had, just moments prior, delivered the last of his young passengers to a school near-bye,” stated Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey, spokesperson for the Kelowna Regional RCMP.
“There would have been a strong likelihood of significant injuries sustained, given the extent of damage to both commercial vehicles, had there been students on board the bus.”
RCMP continue to investigate and charges have not yet been laid. Witnesses to the crash, who have not yet spoken to police, are asked to contact Reserve Constable Dave Caley of the Lake Country RCMP at 250-766-2288.
Original:
The bus driver was the only person injured in a two vehicle accident involving a Central Okanagan School District bus this morning in Lake Country.
The bus was en route to pick kids up in Lake Country when it slammed into the side of a large commercial truck at the intersection of Oceola Road and Lake Hill Drive this morning.
The Lake Country Fire Department responded to the call.
Fire chief Steve Windsor said luckily there were no students on the bus as it was a significant impact with the bus looking like it will be a write-off, suffering extensive damage to its front end.
The driver suffered cuts and other injuries and was taken to Kelowna General Hospital, however Windsor says he was able to walk off the bus under his own power.
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