Bus crash on Sea-to-Sky Highway leaves bus driver seriously injured

The Sea-to-Sky Highway 99 is now open to one lane in each direction about halfway between Whistler and Squamish, after a collision involving a busand an SUV on Wednesday morning.

The Pacific Coach Lines bus driver was airlifted out in serious condition, while the SUV driver wastransported by ground ambulance.

Some 50 passengers on the bus were uninjured and were transferred onto another PCL bus.

• CheckDriveBCfor updates
• Map of approximate crash location

Youngsters 'pretty shaken up'

Christian Thomson, a truck driver who was travelling northbound just behind the bus when it crashed, saidthe SUV, travelling southbound, hadfishtailed.

Thebus clipped it, swerved into the southbound lane and crashed into a guard rail.

"The owner of the SUV had managed to walk out of the car, which was pretty surprising asthe back half had disintegrated," Thomson told the CBC.

"The coach was perched precariously on a barrier, aspeople were jumping out of the emergency window."

Thomson says after establishing those not taken to hospital were OK, he took a young family into his truck so they could keep warm until a replacement bus arrived.

"[People said it was] like a movie. The young girls were pretty shaken up."

Snow may be factor in crash

RCMP Sgt. Jolaine Percivalsaid an investigation into the cause of the crash is still ongoing, but it appeared the SUV in fact crossed into the path of the oncoming bus.

"Initial information indicates that it was the southbound jeep that did cross over and enter the northbound lanes and was in the direct path of the bus."

Percivalalso said hethought the winter conditions may be to blame.

"We do believe that road conditions could be considered as a factor, as it's heavily snowy and the roads are slick and slippery at this time.

"We've had reports of black ice yesterday and today so I think the snow has been on and off."

BC Ambulance say they werecalled to the scene,two kilometres north ofConroyCreek Forest Road,at 10:34a.m. PT.

Three ambulances,one supply ambulance and one air ambulance were dispatched to the scene,along with membersof Squamish RCMP.

DriveBC says drivers should expect major delays due to congestion. The highway was closed in both directions a large part of the day.

Sea To Sky collisions down

Questions in our comments section on cbc.caand the CBC VancouverFacebookpagehave raisedconcerns about the safety ofdriving on the Sea-to-Sky Highway.

However, the B.C.Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure says there are fewer crashes on the highway since the 2010 VancouverWinter Olympics, when the road was significantly upgraded.

"Vehicle collisions have dropped by about one-third since the Sea To Sky Highway was finished in 2010," said spokeswomanSonia Lowe.

"Before the upgrade, collisions along the corridor averaged about 223 per year.Since 2010, this average has dropped to 152 per year, which is just over a 30 per cent reduction."