Stu Bradford has been advocating for improvements to the Trans-Canada Highway for several years.
Over the holidays, he gathered more ammunition for his cause – unwanted ammunition, that is.
As owner of the Barley Station Brew Pub on the corner of Shuswap Street and the Trans-Canada, he says he's seen lots of transport trucks run a red or yellow light.
On the morning of Saturday, Dec. 24, it happened again, with potentially deadly consequences.
Because Bradford has video surveillance for his restaurant, one of his cameras caught the action.
About 8:05 a.m., a Salmon Arm Transit bus can be seen waiting at the intersection at Shuswap Street.
As the bus driver edges out into the intersection after the light turns green, a semi truck and trailer can be seen continuing through the red light on the highway, colliding with the front left corner of the bus.
Staff Sgt. Scott West of the Salmon Arm RCMP reports that the driver of the Transit bus suffered a minor injury, was taken to hospital and released.
The driver of the Freightliner tractor trailer truck was served a violation ticket under the provincial Motor Vehicle Act.
The highway was blocked for about an hour while the collision was investigated and cleared. RCMP, the Salmon Arm Fire Department and ambulance personnel responded. Assistant chief Jim Nickles of the fire department reports fluid was leaking at the scene, which turned out to be engine coolant.
Bradford, meanwhile, along with his fellow members of the Salmon Arm Chamber of Commerce, has suggested that, with the highway changes going ahead at the west end of town, now is a perfect time to incorporate ways to slow down traffic entering town.
"As a community, we have to ask for something more," he said, noting trucks are getting faster and there are more of them travelling through Salmon Arm all the time.
One recommendation from a traffic study the chamber carried out is having digital reader boards at both ends of town, alerting drivers they’re entering a densely populated business area with multiple lights and much foot traffic.