A chain-reaction pile-up involving six transport trucks closed the Trans-Canada Highway between Revelstoke and Golden for over nine hours overnight.
The incident started on a 90-degree corner on Highway 1 near the Loop Brook Bridge at about 10 p.m. on Feb. 14.
Revelstoke RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Rod Wiebe says the incident started when an eastbound tractor-trailer unit lost control in the corner and hit a snow bank, causing the trailer to jack-knife across into the oncoming lane.
The driver of a westbound transport truck witnessed the initial incident and tried to swerve out of the way, but failed. That truck sideswiped the first truck's trailer, then came to a halt.
Wiebe said the conditions were ice and "extremely slippery" at the time. Some rescue workers were having difficulty keeping upright while walking at the scene.
There were no injuries in the initial collision, which effectively blocked the highway.
Meanwhile, two westbound tractor-trailers came to a safe stop at the scene of the crash. The next two didn't.
A third truck came along and rear ended one of the stopped trucks, propelling it into the other safely-stopped truck.
A fourth truck came along and repeated the process, smashing into the third truck in the line.
Despite the mayhem, there was only one minor injury. Cpl. Wiebe described it as a minor neck injury to the driver of the first truck that came to a safe stop.
Wiebe said charges have not been laid in the incident.
The highway was closed from Revelstoke to Golden from about 10 p.m. on Feb. 14 to 7:30 a.m. on Feb. 15, but it is unclear if the closure was due entirely to this particular incident, or if there was perhaps another crash further east on Highway 1 closer to Golden.
Ambulance, Parks Canada, RCMP, highway maintenance crews and tow trucks responded to the scene.