Seven adults were taken to hospital in Watson Lake after a rental passenger van rear-ended a transport truck Wednesday morning along the Alaska Highway.
The accident happened just west of Nugget City, at about 11 a.m., said Const. Billy Gossen with the Watson Lake RCMP. The van was travelling to Watson Lake.
Four of the passengers were treated at the hospital and released. Two of them spent the night in the hospital for observation. Another was sent to Vancouver for further treatment. All are in stable condition, said Val Pike, spokesperson for the Yukon Hospital Corporation.
The passengers were on their way to work at North American Tungsten’s Cantung mine. Three of them were mine workers, while the other three worked for a catering company, said Stephen Leahy, company CEO.
“Our main concern is for the welfare of our people,” he said Thursday morning.
The roads were very snowy and icy that day, said Gossen, who responded to the incident. Even his police truck was sliding that day, he said. The truck was slowing down to turn into a truck stop when it was rear-ended.
Police are still investigating the accident, but alcohol was not a factor, said Gossen.
The van was completely demolished, said Gossen. The only damage to the truck was to a rear bumper. The driver of that vehicle was not injured.