A 22-year-old Kamloops man is on life support at Royal Inland Hospital after his car skidded eastbound off Trans-Canada Highway just east of the Columbia Street overpass at 7:15 a.m. Tuesday, RCMP said in a press release.
The driver was the lone occupant in a 1999 Chevrolet Cavalier when it went out of control to the left and rolled down a 30-foot embankment before landing on its wheels in the median behind Accent Inns.
The driver was rushed to hospital with severe chest and head trauma.
Roads were wet and slippery at the time of the crash, with a thin sheen visible on the overpass when emergency vehicles arrived on scene. The eastbound lane was closed for several hours while a traffic reconstruction expert surveyed the scene. A mechanical inspection of the vehicle is also being carried out.
Police would like to speak to anyone who witnessed the crash, especially a young man who stopped and attended the driver and helped ambulance crews on the scene.
Police are reminding drivers that winter conditions are taking hold as overnight subzero temperatures combine with wet conditions to create compact snow, ice and black ice. Drivers should slow down, leave extra space between vehicles and be more attentive. It's also a good idea to leave earlier for your destination so you aren't rushed.
Anyone with information is asked to call the Kamloops RCMP Traffic Section at 250-828-3000.
