Investigators Seek Answers in Rash of Fatal Crashes
Prince George, B.C.- It has been a particularly deadly week on highways in B.C. and investigators are wondering why.
“Ours was the only district that didn’t have a fatal crash on the long weekend “says North District RCMP Traffic Services Staff Sergeant, Pat McTiernan “and that’s because we threw everything we’ve got in the way of personnel onto the highways to enforce traffic laws. Here we are, talking about 8 deaths within 12 hours and it was a beautiful day.”
Three people died yesterday in a crash just south of Quesnel. McTiernan says that investigation is pointing to distracted driving as a factor. In that crash, a northbound pick up truck collided with a southbound SUV.
Then, later in the day, four people died with the vehicles they were in ( 2 in each vehicle) collided on the Alaska Highway near Mile 82. Although the investigation is not complete, there are suggestions one driver did not complete passing another vehicle.
Not an hour later a single vehicle crash on the Clayhurst Road, not far from the Cecil Road junction. That vehicle left the roadway and the 29 year old Ft. St. John male driver was deceased at the scene. Investigators have yet to say why that vehicle left the roadway.
“I could understand it if we suddenly had a dump of snow, or the roads were icy” says McTiernan, “but the weather conditions were good. We have never seen this number of fatalities in separate incidents in such a short period before.”
Statistically, there are usually more crashes in the fall as drivers have to make the switch from driving on clear, dry roads, to those that may have black ice or snow. There’s also an adjustment to be made for driving when the days get shorter and animals are in migration, but none of those factors are known to have been at play during yesterday’s tragic incidents on the highways.
Comments
With the low temperature at night there is a lot more fog.
Ban cell phone use in cars and see what happens!
Maybe God needed more angels.
Cell phones are top for sure and not ticketing drivers who create line ups would be the second. There is a 3 points for driving to slow and it is not being enforced.
a lot of times I feel like standing still and looking at the little Needle I got in the Car ,it shows a 110kmh and the cowboys in there Pickups just keep flying past me. Just another Day on the Road !
People in the resource industry from Dawson creek to ft Nelson are in general insane drivers. High speed and passing on double solid.
Posted on Friday, September 5, 2014 @ 4:09 PM by frank2
Maybe God needed more angels.
God helps those who help themsleves.
Gods real?????
Posted on Friday, September 5, 2014 @ 4:24 PM by seamut
People in the resource industry from Dawson creek to ft Nelson are in general insane drivers. High speed and passing on double solid.
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Exactly! Also should include many that drive Hwy 97 from PG to Mackenzie junction. Cops need to hang around heavy trucks to catch all those that drive dangerously among them on our hwy’s. They don’t care where or when they pass. They do what ever they like. Heavy trucks are a magnet for idiots that endanger everyones lives. Gotta get by that truck at all costs right?
Dragonmaster: Very true and then they cut in right away, right into the danger zone in front of the truck. If they had to come to a stop suddenly there, they don’t seem to realise that they would get rear ended very badly.
Better yet , how about this disgusting liberal govt run by a no brain , spend some of the hundreds of millions sucked out of the region north of Kamloops and build real roads ,,, replace the goat trails, sickening , same with the way they are handling the strike ,,, family first ,,,, my ass
You see near misses almost daily. Sad that someone is willing to risk their life or risk the lives of others because they couldn’t be bothered to leave a proper amount to time before they had to be somewhere. “I was in a hurry” or “I’m late” is not an excuse. So riding my ass in the slow lane isn’t going to get me to go any faster because you have poor time management skills.
Yep grizz but don’t tell anyone k?
Just made a road trip from Calgary to Prince George , I did the speed limit and it was like I was standing still . Some vehicles were going so fast they were severing while passing me I could not believe it , where was the hurry obviously from the results of the deaths it was to go to heaven.
People slow down smell the flowers and live to drive another day .
The importance of driving fast is an illusion,. Much like people who continually send messages and pictures to each other. What a waste of time and effort. A good portion of our society has slipped into mediocrity.
If we truly wanted to reduce speed and accidents, we could make cars that are incapable of exceeding 100 kgh. Why the big rush to get to the next red light.
Speed and power are sales gimmicks for the car manufacturing companies and are totally out of touch with the reality of highway driving and safety.
Just stand on the side of any road and look at the drivers. You will be amazed at how many people have their heads looking down at something other than their windshield. I have to say that includes RCMP as well. There are so many distractions inside a vehicle and it only takes a split second of inattention for a tragedy. Cell phones and texting are the worst, but sound systems and climate control as well at the in house phone systems are also an issue.
My opinion is we need to bring back photo radar but to appease the right wing types we can have it run by private contractors. There could be a competitive bidding process where contracts would be awarded to the bidder that made the highest donation to their favorite political party. ☻
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