The Prince George Regional Provincial Traffic Services and the Prince George RCMP Detachment are investigating a collision that claimed the life of a Prince George man.
On Nov. 22, 2012 at approximately 5:20 p.m., the police received a call of a two vehicle collision on Highway #97, north of Prince George, at the 700 Road, just south of Bear Lake.
Emergency personnel responded to the scene to find a collision between a commercial tractor/trailer unit and a commercial service truck.
Each of the vehicles only had one occupant. The driver of the service vehicle was pronounced deceased at the scene of the crash, while the driver of the tractor/trailer unit was transported to the University Hospital of Northern B.C., where he has been admitted and is being treated for non-life threatening injuries.
The collision occurred when a commercial service truck, travelling westbound on the 700 Road, entered Highway #97 into the path of a northbound commercial tractor/trailer unit.
The northbound semi collided with the left side of the service truck in a perpendicular collision. The commercial tractor/trailer unit was loaded with empty metal storage containers.
The investigation, to date, has provided no evidence to support alcohol or drugs as a factor in this collision. Road and weather conditions are not believed to be a factor in this crash, but are being considered in the investigation.
Highway #97 was closed for a few hours, while investigators responded to the scene and secured the evidence. A detour around the immediate collision scene was then established to accommodate passing traffic. As of 1:30 a.m., recovery personnel were attempting to remove the two commercial units from the scene. It is expected that this process could take several hours.
The BC Coroners Service and Work Safe BC are now working with the Prince George Regional Provincial Traffic Services unit, to determine the causal factors in this crash. This investigation is in its infancy, with a number of investigative considerations for follow-up action.
Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or may have any information for the police in this investigation are asked to call the Prince George Regional Provincial Traffic Services Unit at Tel# (250) 649-4004.