Highway 1 closed after truck drives off Sicamous bridge

The driver of a semi truck and trailer that plunged off of a bridge in the B.C. Interior Saturday morning has not been located, according to police.

The incident occurred around 6:45 a.m. on the RW Bruhn Bridge in Sicamous, B.C., and led to the closure of Highway 1 in both directions.

Images of the scene show a section of the bridge railing missing and emergency responders gathered in boats and on shore. Debris can be seen gathered on a beach in one photo.

In a news release Saturday afternoon, Sicamous RCMP said their initial investigation suggests the truck, which was eastbound at the time of the crash, drove off the bridge and fell 60 feet into the water of the Sicamous Narrows, which connects Shuswap and Mara lakes.

“The driver, who is believed to be the only occupant, has not yet been located,” police said in their release.

“No other vehicles were involved.”

Police said Royal Marine Search and Rescue, BC Emergency Health Services and firefighters remained on scene Saturday afternoon.

Around 7:15 a.m., DriveBC said it had been receiving reports of a vehicle incident on the bridge. 

DriveBC advised motorists to take highways 97A and 97B to detour, though that route became congested for much of the morning after a separate incident on Highway 97A.

BC Emergency Health Services told CTV News the call came in shortly after 6:50 a.m. and it dispatched two ground ambulances to the bridge.

“Paramedics did not transport any patients to the hospital,” the agency said in an email.

Police said the bridge deck suffered “significant damage” in the crash and “will remain closed to traffic until it can be made safe.”