UPDATE: Highway 97 south of Penticton reopens following crash
PENTICTON – A two-vehicle crash closed Highway 97 in both directions south of Penticton for a short while this afternoon.
The highway, which was closed about one kilometre south of the junction with Highway 3A, has completely reopened to traffic.
A collision between a Honda Civic and a Toyota Tacoma pickup resulted in the pickup leaving the highway and going up a three metre embankment before coming to rest at the top.
RCMP say the driver of the Honda Civic was attempting a U-turn when it was struck by the pickup, according to initial investigation and witness accounts. Both vehicles were northbound at the time.
The 71-year-old driver of the Civic was unconscious at the scene but has since regained consciousness. He remains in hosptial in serious condition while three other occupants of the pickup were treated at hospital and are expected to be released.
A search continues for a dog travelling in the pickup that fled the scene when the accident occurred. Search efforts have so far failed to recover Marley, a friendly one-year-old female pitbull who is caramel in colour with white wing markings on her chest. She is wearing a brown leather collar and has a tattoo on her right ear.
Anyone in the area who spots Marley is asked to contact police at 250-492-4300 or the SPCA at 250-493-0136.
— This story was updated at 2:30 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2017, and again at 4:50 p.m. to add additional information from the fire department and the RCMP.
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