Teenage driver rescued after North Okanagan crash ejected him from vehicle

A teenage driver survived being ejected from his pickup truck and thrown down an embankment but whether he will be able to get his licence remains to be seen.

Police responded to a report Thursday, April 30 at 6:30 p.m. of a vehicle 15 meters down an embankment near Bouleau Lake Forest Service Road on the North Westside.

Frontline officers determined an unlicensed pickup truck had gone off-road and the 16-year-old driver, who was the lone occupant, was not wearing a seatbelt. As a result, the youth was ejected from the vehicle and had landed six meters further down the slope.

"Given the challenging terrain, the assistance of Vernon Search and Rescue was required to bring the youth up the embankment to the waiting ambulance," said Corporal Tania Finn, Media Relations Officer for the Vernon North Okanagan RCMP.

The driver, who possessed a Class 7 learner licence, sustained non-life threatening injuries and was transported to hospital by BC Ambulance Service. The driver was charged under the Motor Vehicle Act for driving contrary to restrictions.

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