Fort Nelson, B.C.-   One person is dead following crash at the Racing River Bridge  about 6 km south of Toad river on Highway 97.

 

Ft. Nelson RCMP say they got the call about the crash yesterday afternoon at about 2:30 PM.

 

Fort Nelson RCMP, RCMP Northern Rockies Traffic Services, Fort Nelson Fire Rescue and the British Columbia Ambulance Service responded to the scene 186 kilometres north of Fort Nelson and located a badly damaged Kenworth tractor trailer unit over the embankment at the south end of the Racing River Bridge. The driver and lone occupant of the unit, a 64 year old resident of Whitehorse, was pronounced dead at the scene, his name has not been released.

 

Preliminary police investigation of the scene suggests the driver, who was traveling northbound at the time, failed to negotiate the sharp curve prior to the bridge colliding with one of the bridges main support girders. The truck then jumped the guard rail and rolling down the embankment resting next to the Racing River. The trailer, which was fully loaded with groceries destined for Whitehorse, continued further down the embankment past the overturned tractor unit spilling it's entire load of grocery cargo onto the frozen surface of the Racing River.

 

This crash is under investigation by the Fort Nelson RCMP Detachment, RCMP Northern Rockies Traffic Services and the BC Coroners Service.

 

Anyone with any information regarding this crash or who may have encountered this commercial transport unit on the highway prior to the collision is asked to contact the Fort Nelson RCMP at (250) 774-3883 or (250) 774-2700.