Two drivers were taken to the hospital to be assessed for injuries following a motor vehicle accident at the Oyster Sto-Lo intersection of the Trans Canada highway Tuesday morning.
The crash occurred shortly after 9:00am. Three drivers were involved in the collision. Due to blinding sunlight, the lead driver thought the light was amber and came to a stop, as did the second driver. A third driver saw the light was green and anticipated a normal traffic flow. That driver then hit the middle car into the lead car causing the rear windshield of the middle car to shatter.
Two of the drivers were not from the Ladysmith area.
“Sun really affects things like this, especially if you’re in an unfamiliar area,” RCMP reserve constable Gravelle said. “In this case [speed] wasn’t the issue because they were already stopped, they just didn’t go on the advance light.”
Rain early in the morning was also a contributing factor, as the sun glinted off the road surface.
Captain Kris Hill of the North Oyster Fire Department said these kind of accidents are fairly common at the Oyster Sto-Lo intersection.
“With this intersection the sunlight it right above the lights. People always say it’s hard to see whether it’s green, yellow, or red. Unfortunately this is quite a busy intersection for us,” he said.
Hill recommended drivers wear sunglasses, use their sun visors, and drive according to road conditions.