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Canada Day turns chaotic as motorhome plunges into crowd
OSOYOOS, B.C (CP) -- Canada Day celebrations turned chaotic when a motorhome plowed into a crowd of people, injuring seven, at least one seriously.
Thousands were celebrating the July 1 holiday at the annual Osoyoos Cherry Fiesta in Osoyoos, B.C., about 260 kilometres east of Vancouver.
Const. Tim MacDonald of the local RCMP detachment said at least one person who suffered a head injury was flown to hospital in Kelowna, B.C.
The others were taken to hospitals in nearby Oliver and Penticton, B.C, MacDonald said.
The youngest victim was an eight-year-old girl, who suffered a broken wrist.
Several others had minor cuts and bruises.
Sgt. Ted Cronmiller said the hospitalized victims were in satisfactory condition after the 1:50 p.m. accident Saturday afternoon.
The driver of the motorhome lost control and struck two parked cars and a motorcycle before plunging into the crowd, Cronmiller said.
He said it's still not clear what caused the driver to lose control.
Fiesta chairwoman Penny LaMere and a friend were walking through the crowd when LaMere was stunned to see a motorcycle coming at them, followed by her car. Both vehicles were being pushed by an out-of-control motorhome.
"It's been a hard day for this community," LaMere said. "It certainly could have been a lot worse," she said. "We're lucky nobody died."
Coy Bridgeman was operating a fish-and-chip stand at the beach when he heard a crash.
Two men sitting on the beach tried to jump out of the way at the last second, Bridgeman said.
"One was hit and he flew about 10 feet."
Osoyoos Mayor Tom Shields was on a nearby stage at the time of the accident.
"We had just finished singing O Canada and were in the process of cutting the cake," Shields said.
"The band was playing their first number, One Fine Day, and at about the last beat of the song the motorhome came down and slammed into the car," he said. "There was a bang and it was right in the crowd."
As of Saturday evening, no charges had been laid against the driver of the motorhome, whose name was not released.
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