FORT ST. JOHN -- A motorcyclist is lucky to be alive after an oil spill along Highway 29 caused him to slide off the road and into a ditch over the weekend.
“My bike went down and it just started sliding and I went into a slide… scaring the living hell out of me,” said accident victim Jeff Garrison in an interview with CJDC-TV.
The accident happened between the switchbacks and Ferrell Creek at approximately 7:30 p.m. Saturday night.
Garrison was traveling at 24 kilometres per hour around a 30-kilometre curve when he hit a patch of oil, causing him to lose control of his Indian Pursuit bike, veer into the oncoming lane, and eventually land in a ditch.
“We had the motorcycle up on the wheels and we had to get to safety… it was a bad corner to be sitting on,” said Garrison.
He was travelling with a group of riders who assisted him while police, fire, and ambulance arrived on scene.
He was taken to a hospital in Fort St. John, where an ultrasound and CT scan revealed that he had a spinal compression fracture.
“I had the utmost professionalism and care right from the firefighters and the paramedics at the scene all the way to the hospital. I had amazing care when I got to the hospital,” said Garrison.
He is currently recovering at home but will require physiotherapy for his injuries.
Dawson Road Maintenance was on scene until after midnight Saturday covering the oil patches with gravel and sand to prevent further accidents.
The RCMP, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, and the BC Energy Regulator have been contacted and are looking into the crash.
An investigation will look to determine who spilt the oil and why the driver continued to haul as oil spilled along the highway.
Garrison voicing concern over a lack of accountability from the driver.
“It was not a one time incident that is where my anger comes from, my frustration and my fear.”
Anyone with information or dashcam footage of the area over the weekend is being encouraged to contact the RCMP.
