*With Files from Bradley Jones, Summit 107 Newsroom, Cranbrook*
RCMP East Kootenay Traffic Services confirmed to Summit 107 that one person was killed and another seriously injured after a motorcycle collided with a boat trailer on Highway 3 north of Moyie Wednesday afternoon.
Sgt. Don Erichsen, RCMP East Kootenay Traffic Services told Summit 107 that the collision occurred around 4:30 pm on Wednesday, July 17, 2019.
“An eastbound truck pulling a boat trailer made a left-hand turn in front of a westbound motorcycle. There was obviously not enough room to complete the turn safely and the motorcycle collided with the boat on the trailer,” said Erichsen. “As a result of the collision, one 47-year-old female lost her life and the male driver of the motorcycle is in Cranbrook Hospital with serious injuries.”
The collision was about 11 kilometres north of Moyie on Highway 3 at Monroe Lake Road near Moyie Lake Provincial Park.
“The motorcycle collided with the passenger side of the boat-trailer combination,” clarified RCMP.
Despite original reports of multiple fatalities, Erichsen told Summit 107 that only one motorcycle was involved in the collision and only one person was killed, while the 53-year-old man driving the motorcycle survived but is in the hospital with serious injuries.
“There is only one fatality at this time, the matter is continuing to be investigated,” said Erichsen. “Just one motorcycle, two people. There was a second motorcycle that witnessed the accident.”
Drive BC reported Highway 3 was fully closed around 5:15 pm on Wednesday, partially opened to single lane alternating traffic around 7:51 pm and then fully opened to traffic at about 1:16 am on Thursday.
“The highway was closed during the investigation, which is standard procedure,” explained Erichsen. “Whenever there’s a fatality on the roadway, our collision analysts are called, they take time to obviously arrive at the scene, and to conduct their investigation the highway has to be closed during that time in order to protect evidence that is or may be on the highway.”
RCMP East Kootenay Traffic Services, RCMP “E” Division ICARS, and Cranbrook RCMP continue to investigate the circumstances of the incident.