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Accident involving truck with defective tires ties up highway for hours

Defective tires may be to blame for a near head-on collision between a truck and a passenger bus on Highways 99 during a snow storm Feb. 6. According to the Whistler RCMP, the incident happened just prior to 2 p.m.

Defective tires may be to blame for a near head-on collision between a truck and a passenger bus on Highways 99 during a snow storm Feb. 6.

According to the Whistler RCMP, the incident happened just prior to 2 p.m. just south of the railroad tracks at Function Junction.

The truck, described as a five-tonne commercial vehicle, was heading southbound when the driver hit his brakes as it got closer to the northbound passenger bus. The truck couldn’t stop in time and slid into the bus, causing extensive damage to the truck and to the front driver’s side of the bus.

The driver of the bus, a 54-year-old male from Vancouver, suffered minor injuries. One of the passengers also suffered an injured collarbone. Both were treated at the Whistler Medical Clinic and released the same day.

The driver of the truck, described as a 44-year-old male from Richmond, was uninjured. He was issued a violation ticket under the Motor Vehicle Act for driving on defective tires – tires lacking sufficient tread to drive in the conditions. The fine was $86.

The highway was closed to traffic briefly, then reduced traffic to one lane for close to four hours. Some drivers were stuck in the jam for three hours or more heading in both directions.