A 39-year-old Osoyoos man has been charged with driving with undue care and attention following last week’s single-vehicle accident on Highway 97 south of Okanagan Falls.
Sgt. Rick Dellebuur of the Penticton RCMP detachment said the unidentified man was northbound in a van shortly after noon when he apparently fell asleep.
“He (driver) woke up and was on the wrong side the road and over corrected and did a 180 and went off the road and rolled down the embankment,” said Dellebuur.
The driver sustained minor injuries but was able to exit the van on his own, however, the passenger remained trapped inside the vehicle.
Emergency crews with the help of bystanders spent about 30 minutes in frigid temperatures using extraction tools to free the 32-year-old male.
The injured man was taken by ambulance to Penticton Regional Hospital where he was treated for what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries.
Road conditions were clear and dry at the time, and according to Dellebuur speed or alcohol were not believed to be factors.
Officials at the scene said the accident could have been much more serious if there had been vehicles coming from the opposite direction.
The van also narrowly missed several large trees when it went down the 20-foot embankment.