The trucking company that owns the semi truck that crashed into a Kelowna townhouse complex last month says the driver of the vehicle suffered a medical emergency before the crash.
A manager with Chohan Carriers Ltd., the company that owns and operates the vehicle that remains embedded in the Gordon Drive townhome, told Castanet Wednesday there was no violation tickets issued to the driver, who has been in hospital since the crash.
RCMP, however, said Wednesday that its investigation into the crash is not complete. The truck will have to be removed from the home, which could take weeks, before the investigation in finished.
"Until the investigation has been concluded there is no update," said RCMP spokesperson Const. Mike Della-Paolera.
"We are waiting for the truck to be removed followed by a full mechanical inspection. Once we have access to this information along with the other information which is part of the investigation, we can then determine which course of action will be pursued," he said, adding that police have not ruled out issuing a violation ticket.
Investigators are waiting for more information, including the driver's medical report, before taking any further steps.
Chohan Carriers Ltd. was in the news this week in the Lower Mainland after it was revealed it was responsible for striking five highway overpasses between December 2021 and June 2022.
According to the B.C. government, the company had five bridge strikes on Highway 1. Carrier suspensions, that have since expired, were issued in response by CVSE.
- December 10, 2021, at the 192nd Street Highway 1 overpass
- Feb. 12, 2022, at the 264th Street Highway 1 overpass
- Feb. 17, 2022, at the 112th Street Highway 1 overpass
- June 1, 2022, at the No. 3 Road Highway 1 overpass
- June 8, 2022, at the 264th Street Highway 1 overpass
The Chohan Carriers manager who spoke with Castanet Wednesday said the bridge strike incidents have "all been resolved to the satisfaction of the CVSE."
The manager said Chohan Carriers has as many as 100 trucks on the road with 300 trailers totalling 400 pieces on the road in North America at any given time.
Despite the townhouse crash happening weeks ago, the truck remains embedded in the townhouse complex as engineers and the insurance company go through the inspection and remediation process.
The cab of the semi came to rest inside the first floor of the townhome. Fortunately, no one was injured despite a child and grandmother being in the home at the time of the crash. However, because the semi took out a significant portion of the external supporting wall and may have damaged the foundation, the townhome structure could be compromised and unsafe for months to come.
