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December 3, 2010
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E N T E R T A I N M E N T chilliwacktimes.com
Double duty for Penner MLA gets AG’s position, while John Les backs Kevin Falcon’s leadership bid BY PAUL J. HENDERSON phenderson@chilliwacktimes.com
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The driver of a pickup truck was taken to hospital with serious injuries after colliding with a train.
Truck collides with train BY TYLER OLSEN tolsen@chilliwacktimes.com
Driver seriously injured in bizarre accident
Chilliwack man was sent to hospital with serious injuries after his truck collided with a train Tuesday night just before midnight. Police say four vehicles were waiting for a train to pass at the Knight Road crossing when the accident occurred. The 33-yearold man’s truck struck the back of the fourth vehicle in line, passed the remaining stopped vehicles and drove toward the train tracks, where it collided with the train.
The male driver, who was the vehicle’s lone occupant, was been taken to an unidentified Lower Mainland hospital for treatment of his injuries. That’s as much as police know. After the track cleared and fire and rescue crews arrived on the scene, the three undamaged vehicles left. Mounties had not yet arrived at the accident and are now hoping to speak to the occupants of those vehicles to get a sense of how exactly the truck ended up hitting a train.
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“They’re our best witnesses,” said RCMP spokesperson Cpl. LeaAnne Dunlop. “They were the closest to the collision.” The drivers did not fail in their legal duty to remain at the scene of the accident, said Dunlop. Police don’t know exactly how fast the train was moving when the collision occurred or what the intentions of the driver were. But they’re reminding the public that train crossings can be dangerous places if the rules of the road
are not followed. “The police wish to remind the public of the danger involved in trying to beat a train that is approaching a crossing,” said Dunlop. “A few moments to stop and wait and ensure your personal safety, the safety of those on the train, and that of those on the roadway with you is a all that is needed to avoid a very dangerous situation.” The cause of the accident is still under investigation by the Chilliwack RCMP.
hiliwack-Hope MLA Barry Penner was appointed attorney general by Premier Gordon Campbell on Wednesday. Abbotsford-Mt. Lehman MLA Mike de Jong stepped down from his role as attorney general after announcing he would seek the leadership of the Liberal party. Penner was moved from his position as Environment Minister to the role of MInister of Aboriginal Relations and Reconciliation i n C a m p b e l l ’s cabinet shuffle in October. Penner takes on the A-G duties in addition to his EB IRST current cabinet First reported on position. chilliwacktimes.com “I’m honoured to be able to serve our great province as the chief law officer for the Crown,” Penner said in a press release, “and look forward to continuing to work with First Nations people to improve economic and social conditions, both on and off reserves.” De Jong announced his candidacy for the Liberal leadership at the Abbotsford Airport and joins Kevin Falcon, George Abbott and
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