British Columbia, Canada – A 2023 roadside crash near Field, B.C. has led to the sentencing of an Alberta man after a tractor trailer failed to slow down and instead drove onto the back deck of a tow truck, causing a major highway collision.

Dalvir Singh Jhattu received a six-month conditional sentence this month. He was also given 90 days of house arrest, a one-year Canada-wide driving ban, and conditions requiring him to avoid alcohol, drugs, and other intoxicating substances.

The crash occurred on December 8, 2023, shortly after 9:30 p.m., when a tow truck operator had stopped along Highway 1 just west of Field in Yoho National Park to remove a Mercedes vehicle that had been impounded for excessive speeding.

Dashcam footage from a tractor trailer, the tow truck, and a police vehicle shows the sequence of events. The tow truck had its rear deck lowered and flashing amber lights activated to signal drivers to slow down and move over.

Despite this, the tractor trailer approached from behind without slowing. It then drove up the lowered rear of the tow truck, striking it like a ramp and crushing both the tow truck cab and the Mercedes.

Inside footage from the tow truck shows headlights approaching followed by glass shattering as the cab is destroyed almost instantly. Police video shows an officer exiting a cruiser, checking for injuries, and running toward the overturned truck while speaking with the driver.

Photos of the aftermath show the tow truck cab completely flattened from the impact.

Cpl. Michael McLaughlin with highway patrol said, “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,” adding that the truck driver “could easily have died as his truck rolled over and he became trapped.”

The crash shut down three lanes of traffic near Field.

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