Kelowna police officer rushed to hospital after ‘serious’ crash

KELOWNA – An RCMP officer is in hospital tonight after a "serious" collision with a tractor trailer while responding to a priority call. 

Police said the unidentified constable in a K9 unit was rushed by ambulance with "serious non-life threatening injuries." His dog was pulled from the wreckage by responding police officers and was taken to a veterinarian for further assessment, RCMP spokesman Cpl. Jesse O'Donaghey said in a release.  

Around 6 p.m. tonight, June 3, the officer was "responding to a priority call for service" in an unmarked Chev Tahoe on Highway 33 when it collided with the semi-truck near Loseth Drive.

"Due to the extent of the damage caused to the police SUV, firefighters required the jaws of life to safely extricate the experienced police officer from the passenger compartment,” O'Donaghey said. "The driver of the semi tractor, who sustained what appeared to be non-life threatening injuries in the crash, was medically assessed at the scene and transported to hospital by BC Emergency Health Services, as a precaution."

Police are investigating in the area and the eastbound lanes of Highway 33 are closed. They re-opened at 11:30 p.m. 

Witnesses to this crash, who have not yet spoken to police are asked to call the Kelowna RCMP Municipal Traffic Section at 250-762-3300.

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