winter roads uPdate provided A4
NOVEMBER 20, 2013
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Two Sections, 52 pages
100milefreepress.net
SNOW MUCH FUN
Last local beehive burner gone A3
Richard Wright photo
Kody Huck of 108 Mile slides down Avalanche Alley at the Hills Health Ranch Sunday, Nov. 17, excited to be able to tube on deep snow thanks to the weekend storm. The ski and snowboard Terrain Park may open early this season due to the early snowfalls.
Backyard photo takes third prize A17
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Slip Slidin' away
Winter storm: Bad for roads — good for sports Richard Wright Free Press
A storm that swept down on B.C.’s interior last week left roads resembling a skating rink and stacked up cars like an ice-racing event, but brought snow for the beginning of the skiing and sledding season. The low pressure system brought upwards of 25 cms of snow and temperatures down to -15 degrees C. 100 Mile House RCMP report a collision-filled week throughout the 100 Mile House Detachment area which kept Interior Roads crews busy plowing and sanding. The chaos began on Thursday, Nov. 14th with three reported single-vehicle collisions; two on Canim-Hendrix Lake Road and one on Highway 24. By Friday Nov. 15th cars were
sliding off the road and into other accident was a vehicle impacting a vehicles. On Friday there were five logging truck on Exeter Station Road single-vehicle collisions. Two were in 100 Mile. RCMP report that the on Highway 24, two on Highway occupants of these vehicles received 97 just south of 100 Mile only minor injuries. House and another On Nov. 16, We would be RCMP were conductat 103 Mile House on glad to see Highway 97. ing radar enforcement the banning on Highway 97 at the At 98 Mile a small of mud and vehicle slid off the four lanes south of 100 snow or all- Mile House. A vehicle road and down a steep season tires was observed travelling embankment. 100 Mile in winter Fire-Rescue service and very quickly northBC Ambulance were bound on the ice and – Al Hughes called out to assist two snow covered roadways. children in the rear seat. The vehicle was clocked Their removal took an hour but they at 49 km/h over the speed limit - 149 received only minor injuries. kms per hour.. The driver was subThere were also two collisions sequently issued a violation ticket involving multiple vehicles. One for excessive speed. His vehicle was vehicle slid into a semitrailer trav- impounded for 7 days. elling north on Highway 97 near The same day there were two singleWright Station Road while the other vehicle collisions in Lac la Hache, the
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first near Begg Road and the other near Lac la Hache Station Road. In both these instances, improper winter tires were a contributing factor. On Nov. 17, there were two singlevehicle collisions on Highway 97. The first was at the 109 Mile Hill, the second was at 111 Mile. Poor road conditions and accidents continued on Nov. 18 and 19. Kal Tire manager Al Hughes, speaking while his team hustled to clear a backlog of last-minute tire changeovers and replacements, commented on the use of “improper winter tires.” Hughes said, “We would be glad to see the banning of mud and snow or all-season tires in winter. They just don’t do the job proper winter tires do. I’ve been in this business 40 years but folks still argue, Why would you risk your safety?” Continued on A7