Road packer goes off embankment in Lavington, driver airlifted

A medevac helicopter was called in Thursday when a road packer/steamroller went off a gravel road in Lavington and down a steep embankment.

Ambulance paramedics, firefighters, RCMP, search and rescue volunteers and BC Hydro crews all attended the scene on Bluenose Road.

The packer went off the road about 9:45 a.m., confirms BC Emergency Health Services spokesperson Shannon Miller.

A single patient was airlifted from the scene in serious condition.

Area resident Sue Paull says the packer went down the 50-foot embankment and was stopped by a tree.

The helicopter landed a short distance away in a horse pasture.

RCMP spokesperson Const. Chris Terleski says the heavy machinery was working on Bluenose when it slid off the roadway and down the embankment, colliding with a power pole, bringing down power lines, and eventually coming to rest against a large tree.

The operator suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Photo: Sue Paull