Two bad crashes Thursday

Photo: Contributed

Salmon Arm first responders attended two serious highway crashes hours apart Thursday afternoon.

Shortly after 2:30 p.m., emergency crews responded to a head-on collision in Salmon Arm on the Trans Canada Highway that sent five to hospital, said Staff Sgt. Scott West with Salmon Arm RCMP.

"Witnesses advised that a westbound silver SUV crossed the painted centre median into the eastbound lanes, which caused a head-on collision with an eastbound van. There was one occupant in the eastbound vehicle and two adults and two children in the westbound van. All were transported to hospital for treatment."

Alcohol is suspected to be a contributing factor in this collision on the part of the westbound SUV driver, RCMP said. The Trans Canada East Traffic Services Section will be conducting the investigation.

Everyone involved in the collision were treated in hospital and sustained non-life-threatening injuries, RCMP said. The two children in the van were treated and only sustained minor injuries.

Later in the afternoon at 6 p.m., a collision on the Trans Canada Highway at the Balmoral Road intersection was reported.

A driver who was traveling south on Balmoral misjudged Trans Canada Highway traffic after stopping on Balmoral, West said. As the vehicle turned left from Balmoral Road to go east on the Trans Canada a west bound vehicle collided with it while in the curb lane.

"One person was transported by air ambulance to receive treatment and another occupant who was trapped in a vehicle had to be extricated by the Shuswap Highway Rescue Team," West said.

"The driver that failed to yield after a stop on Balmoral was served a violation ticket under the motor vehicle act for failing to yield after a stop."

All persons in this collision are expected to recover from this collision, West said.