A Rosedale, B.C., woman who was involved in a terrifying crash last week is speaking out about the fine handed down to the driver who caused the incident.
The crash happened at a high rate of speed on Highway 1 and Leanne Smith said she is lucky to be alive.
“One more split second it would have been a different outcome,” said Smith. “And if I had a passenger, it would have been a different outcome for that passenger.”
Smith was travelling westbound near Number 3 road in Abbotsford on Thursday when a dump truck going the other way lost two of its tires.
One of the tires careened across the highway and embedded itself in the hood of Smith’s SUV.
“All of a sudden, I glanced to my left because I saw something coming and it was a huge tire coming from the opposite side of the highway. I just yelled and hit the brakes,” said Smith.
“Then I heard a loud explosion which was the tire, I guess, hitting the front of the car on top of the hood and then the airbags exploding, and the car was filled with white powdery smoke.”
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Incredibly Smith managed to get her vehicle to the side of the road.
She was taken to the hospital as a precaution but ultimately walked away from the crash with only minor physical injuries.
“I have no idea how I managed to do that,” she said. “It was like an angel was on my shoulder and Carry Underwood said it best you know, ‘Jesus take the wheel.’”
The dump truck driver has since been charged for making a false or deceptive pre-trip statement and for driving a non-compliant vehicle; he was fined $707.
In addition to the fine, the dump truck was removed from the road and will have to undergo a complete inspection and repairs at the company’s expense.
“Seven-hundred dollars, to me, is an insult – an absolute insult. His tire probably costs more than that, it’s an insult. They are not going to care,” said Smith.
“And it might cost them hundreds of dollars to redo this inspection, and I am thinking this must be some kind of joke.”
According to police, there is no indication that the dump truck driver was impaired or distracted at the time of the incident.
BC Highway Patrol has not released the name of the Delta-based trucking company involved.
“This was completely preventable with a proper pre-trip inspection,” said BC Highway Patrol Cpl. Michael McLaughlin. “BC Highway Patrol has a low tolerance for commercial vehicles that are not properly maintained.”
Though her injuries were minor, the crash has left a significant impact. Smith suffers pain and nightmares, and her family is without a vehicle. She is left to deal with the trauma, while the dump truck driver only received a “slap on the wrist,” she said.
“It is a safety issue that needs to be addressed and these truckers really need to take more precautions,” said Smith.
“I think the majority of (truck drivers) are excellent and will take that time because they don’t want to be in an accident themselves, but I think some are just careless. And those careless ones need to be held accountable.”
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