On May 26 around 4:05 p.m., Fort St. John RCMP and Emergency Services, including Fort St. John and Charlie Lake Fire Departments, attended a fatal collision on Highway 97 near 272 Road in Charlie Lake.

Upon arrival, it was determined that a southbound tanker truck hauling crude oil made a sharp left turn across the highway, upon which time it rolled over into the opposing ditch and caught fire. The lone driver of the tanker, a man in his late forties from the Central Interior region of the province, was not able to escape the wreckage and was killed as a result.

Fort St. John and Charlie Lake Fire Departments contained the fire while RCMP officers evacuated motorists and residents from the area for their health and safety, due to the toxicity of the fire. No other people, vehicles, structures or nearby forested areas were affected. Highway 97 was closed until the fire was extinguished and police could investigate further. It was re-opened once it was deemed safe for travel.

North Peace Regional Traffic Services (Fort St. John), Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement officers, WorkSafeBC, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure and the BC Coroners’ Service continue to investigate the cause of this collision.

Police are asking for any witnesses to this collision, including any dash camera footage of the tanker prior to the crash, to contact North Peace Regional Traffic Services in Fort St. John at 250-787-8140.