Pickup in the trees

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

A Penticton resident was left shaken after a pick-up truck drove off Haven Hill Road and crashed into trees behind her home on Thursday night.

Karen Aceto and her son were at their Pickering Street home when the incident took place about 7 p.m.

"It was scary, right, because a firefighter told me if those trees weren't there, (the driver of the truck) could have gone into the garage or hit the house."

Aceto said she didn't hear any tires screeching, just a loud bang. Then Aceto looked outside and saw the truck up in the trees.

She called 911, watching as feet appeared from the passenger side door.  

"I was on the phone talking and I thought she had gone back in the truck," Aceto said. "My kid went out and looked and there was no one in the vehicle. So I went out front and saw a lady that looked like the woman in the truck standing on the corner.

"She walked up the hill and that was it, I don't know where she went."

When the RCMP, fire department and B.C. ambulance arrived on scene the woman was gone, leaving behind the vehicle with Alberta license plates.

The truck has since been towed.

As of Friday morning, there was no official word on whether or not the driver had been located.

Aceto said there have been other incidents on Haven Hill Road because people drive too fast.

She would like to see a cement barrier go up on the road to prevent something like this from happening again.