Notorious corner claims another vehicle near Penticton
PENTICTON – The sharp curve on Highway 97 at the northern entrance to Penticton was the scene of yet another crash last night, June 15.
Witness Tanya Speirs says the vehicle she was in came upon the scene, at the 90-degree corner at the intersection of West Bench Drive, around midnight, moments after it happened. She says two young women were heading south into Penticton at a high rate of speed when they hit the ditch on the right side of the highway and flipped their vehicle. Speirs says the vehicle then skidded on its roof across the West Bench Drive intersection and came to a rest in front of Doc’s Golf Centre.
Speirs says the two women, who looked to be in their teens, appeared to be shaken but otherwise unhurt. She noticed the passenger attempted to leave the scene several times while the driver was being examined by ambulance personnel.
It is not known whether the two were transported to hospital.
Speirs says she spoke with other witnesses who said the vehicle passed them on Highway 97 at a high rate of speed, then came upon the accident scene as they rounded the corner.
“We came by a moment later and turned up Westbench Drive before getting out to make sure everyone was okay,” Speirs says, noting it took at least five minutes before the first emergency vehicles showed up.
Three fire trucks, an ambulance and four police cruisers eventually attended the scene, Speirs says.
Members of Penticton RCMP were unavailable for comment prior to publishing time.
To contact the reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad at sarstad@infonews.ca or call 250-488-3065. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
Join the Conversation!
Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?
You must be logged in to post a comment.
12 responses
The headline really makes me made.It’s not the corner that claims a vehicle.It’s speed that causes a crash.
I’m surprized that there are not more accidents on that corner the way people drive that corner doing 90K per hour and this goes on daily.
When you do slow to the speed limit other drivers are mad and right on your bumper.I can’t count the times I have seen drivers enter that curve only to realize they’re going way too fast and slam on the brakes.These young ladies were very lucky and I hope they learn to slow down.
By the weigh scales is bad too coming off 3AShould be a light there!
I go 100 around that corner daily people should learn to how to drive like a boss
Yeah, speed obvious factor as well as two signs warning, one to slow down, another it will go curve. So pay ATTENTION!!. Teens are lucky nothing hurt physically but their parents’ wallets would be hurt.
Drive the speed limit and there would be no problems staying on the road going around that sharp corner. A lot of drivers Don’t slow down coming into Penticton.
people will you learn to slow down when you come into the curves follow the sign and your speed.
That is what happens when you speed and get to a 50kmph curve. Lots of bad drivers everywhere.
I think the idiot drives would speed through there even if there was a stop light before entering the turn.
The obvious reason for this and most accidents here is not obeying the posted speed limit; I believe it is 50 KPH. “Two young women were heading south into Penticton at a high rate of speed when they hit the ditch on the right side of the highway and flipped their vehicle.”
I have travelledon that road many times since I moved here in 1970, and none of the drivers I was with had trouble negotiating that corner……because they were driving at a safe speedfor that road.Learn to drive safely people!