Two truck drivers are lucky to be alive after a fiery crash that closed Highway 3 in both directions just outside Osoyoos Wednesday afternoon.
The collision sparked a large fire on surrounding grassland, threatening at least one home.
The column of smoke was visible for several kilometers after a big rig and logging truck collided near Spotted Lake.
Const. Kris Clark said it appears one of the trucks may have side-swiped the other while attempting to pass.
“Both vehicles were engulfed in flames upon impact,” he told CTV News.
The ensuing fire was put out by local forestry and fire crews before it spread any further.
One driver, a 46-year-old Kelowna man, was airlifted to Kelowna General Hospital for serious but non-life threatening injuries. The other driver was uninjured.
The highway was closed for several hours during the investigation, and single lane, alternating traffic was being let through by Thursday morning.
The cause of the crash remains unknown but alcohol has been ruled out.
With a report from CTV Vancouver’s Penny Daflos
