A 57 year old Vancouver man is in serious condition as a result of a collision between the motorcycle he was riding and a semi tractor trailer.

The collision happened around 2:45 p.m. on July 7th when two bicyclists riding side by side, who were occupying the slow lane of Hwy 97 northbound, were encountered by a Semi that was traveling in the same lane. The semi was able to slow down to avoid hitting the cyclists from behind, however, a motorcycle rider who was traveling behind the semi was not so fortunate. The Motorcycle collided with the rear of the semi and burst into flames.

The rider, who was thrown from the motorcycle, was rushed to hospital with serious internal injuries but is expected to survive. His BMW touring bike was totally destroyed.

The semi was not damaged and neither of the occupants were injured. The bicyclists stopped for a short period of time but then left the scene.

The RCMP reminds cyclists to not occupy the traveled portion of the roadway that is meant for motor vehicles. Use the shoulder of the roadway and ride single file, not side by side.