Highway mishap: Police searching for gravel, semi truck drivers after Highway 11/17 incident

Traffic on Highway 11/17 has been temporarily reduced to one lane following an early-evening single-vehicle collision just east of Spruce River Road.

The OPP is searching for the drivers of a gravel truck and an 18-wheeler who were traveling westbound just after 6 p.m. Wednesday night, one vehicle attempting to pass the other in a designated passing lane.

According to police one of the trucks edged into the eastbound lane, into the path of an oncoming GMC Safari van towing a camping trailer.

The Safari driver told police he swerved to miss getting hit, lost control and wound up jackknifed in the air facing west, on the opposite side of the road, a side window smashed and the heavily damaged trailer on its side, resting on the guard rail.

The two trucks continued westward.

There were two people in the Safari at the time of the incident, though neither one suffered any injuries, according to police.

OPP and Shuniah Fire Department officials, who also attended the scene, were unsure when both lanes would reopen.