Columbia Valley Pioneer staff
In addition to dealing with serious motor vehicle accidents during the past week, the Columbia Valley RCMP de-escalated a volatile situation involving a suicidal male.
On October 25, police responded to a call regarding a man threatening suicide. Upon arrival, members encountered a male with a large knife and bear spray, who was threatening to spray the members and use the knife on himself. Members were able to de-escalate the situation and safely take the male into custody, transferring him to the hospital to speak with a doctor. The members involved showed their ability to professionally, compassionately, and safely deal with a volatile situation, resulting in a person in crisis obtaining the help they needed.
On October 24 the Columbia Valley RCMP were travelling Hwy 93/95 between Invermere and Radium when they came across a collision in the Dry Gulch area. A tractor trailer had T-boned a pickup with the driver of the pickup being ejected and the passenger trapped in the vehicle. Columbia Valley firefighters and EHS attended, using the Jaws of Life to cut out the passenger. Both of the injured parties were flown to outside hospitals with significant injuries.
The investigation revealed the pickup pulled out in front of the tractor trailer, giving no time for the driver of the tractor unit to make evasive manoeuvres. The driver of the pickup had failed to clear the snow from his driver’s side window, which likely prevented him from seeing the approaching tractor trailer.
On the morning of October 27, police responded to multiple collisions between Dry Gulch and Edgewater. The roads in this area were extremely slippery due to black ice, causing multiple vehicles to go off road in various locations. There was also a multi-vehicle collision involving tractor trailers and a bus. Fortunately, there were no serious injuries.
This past week has provided the valley with the first blast of sustained winter weather. Please check road conditions at www.DriveBC.ca prior to leaving on a trip and ensure you have the proper winter tires and a winter survival kit in your vehicle. Always give yourself extra time to reach your destination safely.
Files provided by Sgt. Ed deJong
