April 14 at approximately, 1 a.m., the New Hazelton RCMP responded to a report of a vehicle being struck by a train in New Hazelton beneath the Highway 16 CN overpass.
Upon arriving, they located a white 2008 Chevrolet Tahoe that been traveling west on the railroad tracks when it was hit head-on by an east bound train.
The single male occupant driving the vehicle was conscious although trapped inside the crunched metal remains.
The New Hazelton Fire and Rescue team attended the scene and began an extensive effort to extricate the individual.
The extraction took several people and a variety of devices, including the jaws of life. It took well over two hours before they were able to free the occupant from the vehicle.
Once they were able to remove all the wreckage it was found that the male had only sustained minor injuries including a broken wrist.
He was transported by paramedics to Wrinch Memorial Hospital.
Police, rescue workers and others involved in freeing the male that night believe there were many factors in the reason the male survived the collision.
It is thought that the train’s relative low rate of speed was a factor, it had slowed down because of another nearby train heading westbound.
Authorities are investigating the driver for impaired operation of a motor vehicle.
Due to the location of the accident, there was no way to get a tow truck to remove the remains of the vehicle which meant CN had to bring in a crane to lift the wreckage off the track and onto the highway.
Shannon Hurst is a reporter at the Smithers Interior News