Four people were seriously injured and three trapped in their vehicles in a four-vehicle pileup on the Trans-Canada Highway by the Enchanted Forest and Sky Trek on Tuesday, August 5.
RCMP Staff Sgt. Kurt Grabinsky said the accident, which occurred at about 3 pm, closed the highway until just before 8 pm.
He said a West-bound truck pulling a trailer was moving too fast and too close to another vehicle that was turning left into the popular tourist attraction when it hit. Two other vehicles then hit it.
Revelstoke Fire and Rescue Service personnel extracted the trapped people from their vehicles while paramedics transported two of the injured people to hospital in Salmon Arm and two to Queen Victoria Hospital in Revelstoke. The injured people were seriously hurt with facial, back and internal injuries, but fortunately none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening, Grabinsky said.
The RCMP brought in an accident re-constructionist from the Vernon detachment to study the accident scene as this incident is the subject of a criminal investigation; the driver, a 55-year-old man from Alberta, has been charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm. If convicted he could face 10 years in prison.
Meanwhile, the accident backed up traffic for hours with a lot of those travellers turning back to Revelstoke to cool their heels until the highway could be reopened.
