Winter mountain conditions. Be prepared for sudden weather changes.

That is what the sign on Highway 16 warns on the way to Valemount, and that’s exactly what happened last week when Valemount and Jasper RCMP responded to a dozen tractor-trailer accidents in a five-kilometre span.

Valemount RCMP said last week’s mess on Highway 16 was not out of the ordinary, as they had all on-duty Valemount RCMP and one Jasper RCMP officer respond to the scene as well as highway flaggers, sanders and other provincial highway officials to clean up what is being blamed on winter mountain conditions.

Roads were in poor but drivable condition for most of the highway except a small stretch between Mt. Robson and Moose Lake, where temperatures fluctuated and icy patches prevailed.

The incident began on Jan. 11 when a tractor-trailer jackknifed on the highway. When the next truck came along, heading westbound, it skidded to a stop 100 metres from the jackknifed truck. The second truck found itself on the south shoulder of the eastbound lane facing westbound.

Shortly after, two other tractor trailers came through, one hauling a trailer of new vehicles with a transport behind it. Both trucks hit an icy patch and sideswiped the transport truck facing the wrong way before coming to a stop against the first jackknifed truck.

But that wasn’t the end of it.

“Shortly after a lumber truck came down. He got stopped and the same thing (happened). He was westbound. He made it over to the eastbound shoulder facing westbound. Now his trailer of lumber he was hauling was straight, but the truck itself was 180 degrees, facing north,” said Valemount RCMP Const. Howard Price.

Following the first five vehicles, according to Price, three or four more truckers showed up and pulled over on the side of the westbound lane, all facing westbound. Finally, the final truck came through, passing the trucks that had pulled over and colliding with the lumber truck’s cab, causing it to catch fire.

After colliding with the lumber truck, the final truck rear-ended the first truck, which at this point had already been struck twice.

Price said two tractor trailers, including the lumber truck, were engulfed in flames, but the drivers were able to escape unharmed.
Only a few kilometres down the road, another tractor-trailer lost control and ended up in the river.

Closer to Valemount, a tractor-trailer jackknifed with two minor collisions after it, including one that involved one of the sand trucks.

“They (highway workers) were out there trying to do their best, I wouldn’t blame it on any companies. It was mountain conditions, sudden weather conditions,” Price said.

After all was said and done, Price said there were no injuries, only property damage, which he said is okay with the RCMP. Property damage, he said, they can live with, but not fatalities.

Highway 16 was closed for some time on Jan. 11 until it was reopened to a single lane throughout the afternoon, a decision made by the BC government, not the RCMP.

“Closing the highways is a decision the province makes based on information from the RCMP and from the highway people. We can close highways if it’s a fatality or if it’s a crime scene or something. But for highway closures, it is the responsibility of the province, based on recommendations based from us, and whatever emergency service personal that are out there,” he said.

According to Price, Highway 16 is closed on a regular basis due to the nature area it runs through, and while this accident had many vehicles involved, it was not the worst he has seen.