School bus crash near Osoyoos

PENTICTON – A car crash on Highway 3 near Osoyoos yesterday afternoon involving a school bus narrowly avoided tragic consequences.

RCMP say a collision between a Dodge pickup towing a travel trailer and the school bus took place on Highway 3, 20 kilometres west of Osoyoos at about 1:30 p.m., Thursday, July 16.

According to police, the westbound pickup attempted to pass a tractor trailer as the bus, carrying 30 young people from a church camp in Princeton, approached travelling east.

The pickup driver lost control of his vehicle after swerving back into his lane in front of the semi. He slid driver’s door first into the bus causing the trailer to break free. The trailer went over an embankment and burst into flames.

Two people on the bus were taken to South Okanagan General Hospital in Oliver to be treated for minor injuries. The people in the pickup were also transported to hospital in Oliver and to Penticton Regional Hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

The burning travel trailer ignited a minor brush fire, which was extinguished by B.C. Wildfire Management.

The crash closed Highway 3 for approximately two hours.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.