Highway 39 Bus Crash Leaves Twenty Hospitalized Near Mackenzie
A morning shuttle bus crash on Highway 39 sent twenty people to the hospital and triggered a mass-casualty response across northern British Columbia, cbc.ca reported. The Wednesday morning collision occurred about 200 kilometres north of Prince George, as the vehicle transported workers toward a data centre in Mackenzie.
Rich Rogers, a former City of Prince George firefighter travelling with his family, pulled over near the wreckage and administered immediate life-saving care. His wife Corynn attempted to dial 911 in an area marred by poor cell coverage, while Rogers shut down the gas-leaking bus and revived unresponsive passengers before emergency crews arrived.
B.C. Emergency Health Services confirmed that three patients sustained serious injuries, and four others were listed in serious but stable condition. The crisis prompted authorities to declare a Code Orange at hospitals in both Mackenzie and Prince George to manage the influx of injured workers.
Mayors Push for Regional Highway Cell Coverage and Hospital Helipad
In the wake of the mass-casualty incident, newly sworn-in Prince George Mayor Garth Frizzell and Mackenzie Mayor Pete Kyllo issued a joint media release calling for critical infrastructure upgrades across the north. Prince George Citizen reported that the mayors renewed their push for universal broadband and cellular coverage along regional highways, noting that roughly 38 per cent of provincial highways lack cell service.
The municipal leaders also pressed the provincial government to incorporate an on-site helipad into the ongoing acute care tower expansion at the University Hospital of Northern B.C. The facility remains the only major regional trauma centre in the province without a rooftop or ground-level landing pad.
Ian Tait, a spokesperson for Ambulance Paramedics of B.C., told Yahoo News Canada that air ambulances currently must land at the Prince George airport, requiring an additional 15-kilometre ground transfer to the hospital. Tait warned that transferring critical patients from the airport introduces delays that can become the difference between life and death.
Roadside Rescue Revives Former Firefighter Mental Health Struggles
For Rogers, the roadside rescue reopened the mental health struggles that led him to leave his career as a firefighter. Speaking to multiple media outlets, including cbc.ca, he explained that the high-stress environment of emergency services had previously damaged his well-being due to a lack of proper support systems.
Rogers said his focus moving forward would be on helping his son recover from what they witnessed.
Paxton Shuttle Services, the Prince George-based company whose logo was on the 24-seat bus involved in the collision, did not respond to an email request for comment from the Prince George Citizen regarding the situation.