Emergency services rushed to pull a woman and her car off the train tracks Monday morning when the vehicle rolled off the highway and a train was on the way.
Sgt. Laurel Mathew of the Castlegar RCMP said one of the members of the Castlegar Fire Department noticed a train was approaching as he was making his way to the scene of the crash on Highway 22 between Blueberry and Fairview.
The car, which landed upside down on the tracks, was pulled down the bank and the woman was rescued.
The driver, who was travelling in the northbound lane, had her vision compromised when the truck in front of her splashed slush onto her windshield. Mathew said the driver then over-compensated, turning away from traffic and rolling down the bank.
She landed upside down and was able to call 911 from inside her vehicle, as she was trapped.
Mathew said the driver was taken to the Castlegar and District Community Health Centre because she was complaining of a stiff neck, but noted she was “probably more scared than anything.”
The Toyota Corolla sustained quite a bit of damage, Mathew said, including broken windows and a crumpled roof.
Mathew said a good sign that you’re following the car in front of you too closely is if slush and debris from the car is hitting your windshield.
“Slow down and leave lots of distance,” she added. “That’s the same message we’ve been giving people all winter.”