Lyonel Doherty
Times-Chronicle
A local motorist is still shaking his head over a big risk that a transport truck driver took between Oliver and Osoyoos last Friday.
Bill Fowlie cited a shocking incident that he observed on Jan. 7 on Highway 97 at Road 11.
He recalled it was very icy at 7:15 a.m. when he and his wife (in separate vehicles) were driving northbound.
“It was a shock to all of a sudden see him (passing truck driver) there beside me; I did not see him coming at all.”
Fowlie said the driver cut his wife off to get back into the northbound lane before meeting oncoming traffic.
He noted that people who are familiar with this section of road know there is not a lot of time to pass.
“The trucker must have known the highway well because there is a very short window between Road 11 and Road 10.”
Fowlie said they eventually caught up to the driver on Waterman’s Hill in Okanagan Falls.
He called 911 but no one returned his call, however, he did receive an email stating that the video he sent was forwarded to the appropriate manager.
Fowlie pointed out the other concern was a slow driver that held up traffic at the front of the line.
“I know it was icy and slippery but fluctuating between 50 and 60 km/h all the way from Road 21 after the four lanes caused this lineup, and it caused frustration on my part, too. But with the exception of the semi-driver we all kept our cool.”
Fowlie said he doesn’t condone what the truck driver did “but slow drivers can cause accidents, too.”
