Heavy Rains Leads to Crash

Heavy Rain Leads to Motorcycle Crash

Tuesday June 24th – Fort Nelson RCMP and BC Ambulance services were called to a report of a single motorcycle crash that occurred just north of Toad River at about 6:30 pm. Police arrived on scene at approximately 8:30 pm and found that the rider of the motorcycle was in stable condition and being tended to in the back of an Ambulance before be transported to Fort Nelson General Hospital for further treatment.

Witnesses at the scene told police that the motorcycle had been travelling north on Highway 97 at approximately 50km/hr in heavy rain when it went off the road to the right. Skid marks through the grass indicated that the motorcycle slid on it’s side for nearly 60 metres where it came to rest. The rider who had made his way up north from California, was thrown another 10 metres past the bike.

There were no other vehicles involved in the crash and further assessment of the rider at Hospital showed that he suffered only minor bruising and muscle strain, partly thanks to the proper riding gear that he was wearing.

Stolen Quad

On Wednesday, June 26th sometime between midnight at 12 noon, a 2007 Grey Yamaha 660 Rhino ATV was stolen from a yard on 49th Avenue. The thieves removed a cable lock that had been used to secure the quad to the fence. Anyone with information about this theft or that may have seen a quad matching this description is encouraged to phone Fort Nelson RCMP at (250) 774-2700.

If you own a quad or other type of off road vehicle, stop by the RCMP detachment at 4804 McLeod Rd and register your vehicle and improve your chances of having it returned to you in the event that it goes missing. When you come in to register we will provide you with pamphlets and DVDs to help you ride safely and within the rules set out by the BC Off Road Vehicle Act.

Drugs taken off the Street:

Over the weekend police conducted numerous road checks and on two occasions, seized drugs. On Friday night a driver was arrested after an officer became aware of the odour of burnt marijuana. A small quantity of the drug was found and seized. Police also stopped a group of five youths on bicycles who after being confronted about a similar odour, turned over a small quantity of marijuana along witha glass bong, which was seized by police for destruction.

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Safety a Must in Construction Zones:

Have you seen the signs when coming into a construction zone warning of fines doubling when workers are present? What do motorists think of these signs? Is this a government money grab or an ICBC cash cow? No. The truth of the matter is that workers are getting killed or seriously injured every year by drivers that don’t slow down or obey the signs.

On Friday morning YRB workers were out at Kilometre 465 of the Alaska Highway doing roadwork when a Semi truck came speeding through the construction zone not just ignoring the signs but ploughing down most of the road pylons that had been set up. The driver was apparently unaware or just didn’t care as he continued his way without stopping or slowing down.

Please give these workers a chance to do their jobs and go home to their families at the end of the day. In police work, the most dangerous part of the job statistically, is conducting traffic stops and the danger most often comes from vehicles passing by. Road crews often spend their entire day working under those conditions facing real danger and it’s in our power as responsible drivers, to keep them safe.

Keep in mind, just because there are no police with the road crew it doesn’t mean that a worker can’t catch a plate number or, in this case, read the company name on the side of the truck and report the incident. Police have up to a year to serve a violation ticket (or tickets) and there is no limitation if someone is injured or killed. These workers are your neighbours, be courteous and keep them safe.