Monday’s abrupt winter weather saw Cranbrook RCMP respond to more than 15 collisions around the community in about three hours.
Snow falling Monday morning and dropping temperatures created a mixture of hazardous conditions, as Cranbrook RCMP said area highways surrounding the city were “skating rinks” for vehicles.
Cranbrook RCMP said that Highway 93/95 was hit hardest as motorists failed to make it up the Fort Steele Hill until sanding trucks made several passes over the roadway to provide traction.
“Traffic was backed up for about a kilometre each way,” said Cst. Katie Forgeron with Cranbrook RCMP. “Vehicles were unable to traverse the hill as several centimetres of ice accumulated in a short period of time.”
Forgeron said no major injuries were reported as a result of the collisions.
Across the East Kootenay, Drive BC continues to report winter driving conditions, whether it be on Highway 3, Highway 93/95 up the Columbia Valley, Highway 43 between Sparwood and Elkford or Highway 95A connecting Cranbrook and Kimberley.