Skip to content

Officer rescues senior from path of sliding truck

An elderly woman's life was saved by the selfless act of a local police officer Sunday.

An elderly woman's life was saved by the selfless act of a local police officer Sunday.

Const. Brendon Thomas of the Salmon Arm Detachment responded to a motor-vehicle accident at the intersection of Shuswap Avenue and the Trans-Canada Highway at 10:15 a.m. Dec. 18.

Fluctuating temperatures combined with rain and snow had rendered the intersection extremely slippery, resulting in a car rear-ending a semi tractor trailer.

While conducting his investigation and assisting the injured driver of the car, Thomas happened to look up in time to see a woman in her 90s slowly crossing the intersection.

As the woman reached the mid-way point of the road, Thomas noticed a large oncoming  pickup truck go into a skid, something the woman was obviously oblivious to.

"Const. Thomas went into action quickly with little regard for his own safety, dashing out and picking up the female, carrying her to safety thereby pulling her out of the path of the oncoming vehicle," says Cpl. Damon P. Werrell, local Watch C Supervisor, noting the incident is but one of the many dangers RCMP members face on a regular basis.

"Without the quick-thinking and selfless actions taken by Const. Thomas, it is likely the female would have been struck by the oncoming vehicle suffering serious, if not fatal injuries."