'Never seen them stuck on there': Transport truck lands on highway median in Campbell River, B.C.
A commercial truck driver escaped serious injuries after the rig he was driving ended up on top of a concrete barrier Wednesday morning in Campbell River, B.C.
The southbound rig, owned by GFL Environmental out of Cumberland, B.C., wound up on the barrier that divided Highway 19 between Willis Road and 14th Avenue in Campbell River after the driver apparently experienced a medical issue.
"I talked to the driver and he was choking and trying to stay in his lane, and the truck obviously hit the 'no-post' and climbed up on there and ruptured a fuel tank," said a commercial driver who was stuck in the highway closure.
The accident shut down two northbound and two southbound lanes for several hours as crews dealt with a fuel spill along the highway and tried to figure out how to remove the rig from its unusual location.
The stuck transport truck is pictured in Campbell River, B.C. Aug 10, 2022. (CTV News)
Don Bachmier, road foreman for Mainroad Contracting’s Campbell River region, says the fuel was contained to the highway and didn’t make it into nearby drainage ditches.
"We’ve got a fuel spill that we’re responding to with the local fuel response team and we have both lanes [closed] due to that," he said. "We can’t let anybody track that fuel down the road more than necessary."
On Wednesday morning, Bachmier said the plan was to eventually open up the slow lanes in both directions before being able to fully clear the rig – an operation that was expected to take between four and eight hours at a minimum.
Removing the truck was made more difficult because the rig was located underneath power lines which crossed over the highway.
"With the power lines here we won’t be doing any lifting at all, we’re going to have to be doing some pulling with the big wrecker," he said.
The truck was empty at the time of the crash and Bachmier says the spot it ended up was highly unusual.
"I’ve never seen them stuck on there, they usually go over or through [the barrier]," he said. "I’ve never seen them stuck on the middle."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING 14 suspects arrested in grandparent scam targeting seniors across Canada: Ontario police
An interprovincial investigation into an 'emergency grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.