A dangerous highway crash in the Rockies has prompted renewed warnings from police after a tractor trailer slammed into a stopped tow truck and roadside vehicles despite flashing emergency lights, destroying all three vehicles and narrowly avoiding multiple fatalities.The incident, which occurred on Dec. 8, 2023, west of Field, British Columbia, is now the focus of a public safety warning from the BC Highway Patrol, which has released dash-camera footage showing the moment of impact and its aftermath.Police say an Alberta truck driver failed to slow down or move over while passing a roadside stop involving a tow truck assisting with an earlier traffic incident on Hwy. 1 in Yoho National Park.At the time, officers were working with a tow operator to impound a speeding Mercedes when the tow truck activated its flashing amber lights to warn approaching traffic. Despite the warnings, the semi driven by 38-year-old Dalvir Singh Jhattu, of Calgary, struck the rear of the tow truck at highway speed just after 9:30 p.m.The collision destroyed the tow truck, the tractor trailer, and the Mercedes that had been pulled over earlier..“Luckily the tow truck operator, the police officer, and the Mercedes driver were safely off to the side of the road, or they would certainly have been killed,” said Cpl. Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol. “The tractor-trailer driver could easily have died as his truck rolled over and he became trapped.”The crash occurred in an area where drivers are legally required to follow British Columbia’s “Slow Down, Move Over” law, which mandates reduced speeds and lane changes when passing emergency or roadside workers displaying flashing lights.Under the law, drivers must reduce speed to under 70 km/h when approaching stopped emergency or service vehicles on highways posted above 80 km/h, and move into the farthest safe lane away from responders where possible.Court records show Jhattu was later convicted of dangerous driving under section 320.13(1) of the Criminal Code. On April 8, 2026, he was sentenced to a six-month conditional sentence, 90 days of house arrest, and a 12-month driving ban across Canada. He was also prohibited from consuming alcohol, drugs or other intoxicating substances.Police say the case underscores the risks faced by roadside workers and emergency responders when motorists fail to follow basic safety rules.“Normal speed limits exist for ideal conditions,” McLaughlin said. “When road workers or emergency responders are at the side of the road, you are legally required to slow down even more.”
