Driving

HELSTON: How I fared for a day without a car

There are many things we neglect to do in our own hometowns, and for me, one of those things was riding the bus. Before this week, I had never used Vernon’s public transit system. So, after a recent trip to Vancouver in which I relied on buses and skytrains, I decided it was time to...

RCMP, SPCA investigating woman accused of dragging puppy behind moving vehicle

OKANAGAN – After news of four Kelowna women who rescued a puppy that was injured while being pulled behind a moving vehicle in Oliver last week, the SPCA and RCMP have begun a joint investigation into possible animal cruelty. On Friday, June 12 at around 7:30 p.m., four women from Kelowna were on a wine...

Lumby man crashes car in dense fog, requires rescue

VERNON - Emergency personnel rushed to get an injured man out of his car after it flipped on Highway 6 over the long weekend. RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says police were called to the single vehicle accident about 5:45 p.m. Monday, May 18. A 20-year-old Lumby man’s vehicle crashed and rolled, trapping him inside, Molendyk...

Driver ticketed for causing highway crash

KAMLOOPS - A woman who turned left into oncoming traffic and caused a crash on the Yellowhead Highway Thursday afternoon has been ticketed. Cpl. Cheryl Bush, a spokesperson for the Kamloops RCMP, says the 42-year-old woman was ticketed for driving without due care after causing the crash at the intersection of Highway 5 and Paul...

Silver Star Road, voted worst in B.C., is getting a facelift

VERNON - B.C.’s worst road is getting some love from the provincial government. Silver Star Road in Vernon, voted number one in BCAA’s 2014 worst roads survey, is one of the items listed in a 10-year transportation plan released by the province. Sometime in 2015, the road will be resurfaced as part of an initiative...

Vernon RCMP remind drivers to slow down after speeding spike

VERNON - The Vernon RCMP is reminding the public to slow down after clocking one driver going upwards of 50 km/h over the posted limit — just one of numerous drivers ignoring posted speeds. Traffic services noticed the excessive speeder Mar. 7 around 7:21 a.m. on Highway 6 near Ricardo Road in an 80 km/h...

How fines are replacing jail for drunk driving

KAMLOOPS – In 2012, Lee Michael Wilson blew a warning on the breathalyzer after a police officer pulled him over in Kamloops. Police gathered no evidence beyond that and he was found guilty on the spot. He was issued a three-day immediate roadside prohibition, a non-criminal penalty that may result in the loss of a licence...

What Vernon can expect from city plows Wednesday

VERNON -  City of Vernon road crews expect to have all residential roads and cul-de-sacs plowed by mid-morning Wednesday. After that, they will begin plowing and sanding all areas of the city, communications coordinator Tanya Laing Gahr said in a release. Snow removal will continue on 27 Street until noon Wednesday. Late Tuesday night, crews...

Excessive speeding has spiked 300 per cent in the North Okanagan

VERNON - As we ring in the New Year, the message from Vernon RCMP is keep the roads safer in 2015. Traffic Services impounded 78 vehicles for excessive speeding in 2014, up 300 per cent from 25 in 2013. “They (Traffic Services) just shake their head,” RCMP spokesperson Gord Molendyk says. The need for decreasing...

Be patient; Vernon road crews will eventually get to your street

UPDATE: PUBLIC TRANSIT RESUMES SERVICE WITH SOME DETOURS IN EFFECT VERNON - City of Vernon crews are working as fast as they can to clear roads, but it will still be some time before all streets are plowed and sanded. With over 35 centimetres of snow in the last 24 hours, public works manager James...

Your guide to a Christmas lights driving tour in Vernon

VERNON - It’s not Christmas without the dazzle of bright lights around the city, and we’ve found the displays you don’t want to miss this year. A Christmas lights driving tour is a fun, and best of all free, way to get in the holiday spirit. When night falls, the City of Vernon transforms into...

UPDATE: Highway 6 reopens following Wednesday morning car crash

VERNON - Highway 6 just west of Lumby has reopened following a car accident Wednesday morning.  The highway was closed in both directions while emergency officials attended the scene. Vehicles were detoured around the accident via Whitevale Road.  To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact...