TWO GOOD Samaritans are being credited with pulling a driver and passenger from a burning car after a head-on crash near Kitimat last night.
A car and truck hit head-on with the car bursting into flames upon impact 22 km north of Kitimat on Hwy 37 South just after 6 p.m. Dec. 5, said Const. Lesley Smith, media relations officer for BC RCMP Communications North District.
“The RCMP would like to commend the efforts of those involved in pulling the two males to safety and for the medical care they received on scene by an off-duty nurse from Kitimat,” she said.
The two occupants in the car along with the driver of the pickup, all residents of the Kitimat area, were taken to Mills Memorial Hospital, she said.
The 24-year-old driver of the Mercury Cougar was then medevaced to the Vancouver General Hospital burn unit and the 22-year-old passenger remains in stable condition, she said.
The 56-year-old driver of the Toyota Tundra was taken to hospital and released later that night, she added.
Police spoke to the two men who pulled the car occupants to safety; one was from Ontario and the other from Calgary, said Smith.
Road conditions were heavy snowfall and the roads were extremely slushy and icy at that time, said Smith.
Fire, ambulance and police were all called out to the crash.
Witnesses say the road was closed for three hours; by 8:45 p.m., DriveBC reported that the highway was open to single land alternating traffic.
The West Pacific Region Traffic Services, also known as the highway patrol, continues to investigate along with Kitimat RCMP.
