Editor:
On Feb. 20, 2016 my husband and I were traveling home from Smithers when we met a Lakes District Maintenance (LDM) plough truck who was heading west on Hwy. 16 spraying gravel sand.
Due to the speed the LDM driver was traveling at we had little time to get pulled off to the side of the road to avoid the rocks we watched bouncing off the road a good five feet in the air. There was a car traveling behind us who made the same effort. We received a large rock chip in the windshield and rock chips all along the drivers side of our pick up.
It was a sunny, plus eight degree day and the roads were bone dry on this section of the highway and there was absolutely no need to be sanding.
I went to the operations manager who dutifully apologized but said there was nothing he could do to resolve the rock chip in my windshield. He proceeded to tell me they no longer replace windshields, even if their driver was in the wrong.
We now have a pick up that needs to have the windshield replaced and rock chips repaired.
We understand that LDM hides behind the government rule that says they no longer have to shut their sander off when they meet traffic, but my husband who hauls on these roads every day would like to acknowledge Yellowhead Road and Bridges who despite this new ruling continues to extend this courtesy.
LDM's response or lack there of to take responsibility for their damaging actions is very frustrating to say the least and should be held accountable for these incidents.
Brian and Debbie Fisher.
Burns Lake, BC
Editor’s note:
Lakes District News did contact LDM for comment and Steve Gailing said, “We were responding to slippery sections that day and that we normally keep our sanders on for hills and corners. However, it is not our intention to spray vehicles with sand. It is sometimes very difficult to shut them off in time depending where we meet the vehicle.