Illegal U-turn in Lake Country could’ve been fatal for Kelowna man

LAKE COUNTRY – The Jaws of Life were used to free a trapped driver after a crash in Lake Country yesterday afternoon.

RCMP say at about 1:36 p.m. yesterday, Feb. 20, emergency crews rushed to the crash between a semi tractor hauling a loader on a flat deck lowbed trailer and a Nissan Murano SUV in the intersection of Highway 97 and Oceola Road.

The crash left the driver of the SUV, a 76-year-old Kelowna man, trapped inside, according to an RCMP media release. Lake Country firefighters used the Jaws of Life to remove him from the vehicle.

“It’s a miracle the driver is still alive,” a witness to the crash told police. Despite the severity of the collision and the damage to the SUV, the driver wasn't seriously injured. He was treated by paramedics at the scene.

“This incident serves as an important reminder to all motorists, who are urged to complete legal turns only or use designated U-turn routes to safely change directions on all roadways, especially highways,” Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey says in the release.

RCMP are asking any witnesses that have not spoken to police to contact the Lake Country RCMP detachment at 250-766-2288.

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