A 75-year-old Smithers man is in serious condition in a Vancouver hospital after striking a tree with his van Tuesday.
Smithers firefighters, RCMP and paramedics responded to the crash at 12:50 p.m. According to Smithers RCMP, the Dodge Caravan travelling northwest on Highway 16 drove off the road on its passenger side and struck a tree southeast of Smithers near Babine Lake Road.
It was observed to have drifted slowly off the road, and a pre-existing medical condition may have been a contributing factor.
The lone occupant was treated at Bulkley Valley District Hospital before being airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital.
RCMP respond to four crashes in two days
In the last two days, Smithers RCMP have responded to four motor vehicle collisions in the Smithers area. The other three were relatively minor without injuries.
Road conditions in the Bulkley Valley region remain poor: a dangerous mix of water on ice. Drivers are reminded to slow down and leave a larger distance between vehicles to react. The RCMP is saying driving, unless essential, should be avoided to allow road maintenance crews time to distribute sand/gravel in all areas.
High temperatures are expected to remain around zero degrees for the next week, with percipitation this evening and Saturday making for treacherous road conditions.
Bulkley Valley School District 54 and Coast Mountains School District 82 cancelled buses Wednesday. Visit their websites to keep up to date on any more cancellations: