A semi-truck crashed straight into the back of a trailer packed with $100,000 of fireworks that was parked on a shoulder of a highway in Canada.
The collision caused a spark which then ignited the fireworks creating a dazzling display that lasted for more than an hour at the side of the road in Hope, British Columbia.
This incident occurred last Thursday at around 10pm on the Trans-Canada Highway east of Vancouver, when the truck smashed into the trailer which had been towed by a pickup at the time.
Incredibly, both drivers were able to get out of their respective vehicles without suffering too much harm – although one was taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
A trailer that had stopped on the shoulder of a highway in British Columbia in Canada was rear-ended by a semi-truck carrying $100,000 of fireworks causing them to ignite
The collision in the town of in Hope, created a spark causing the fireworks to ignite creating a spectacular display captured on camera by fellow drivers
The silhouette of the massive semi-truck can be seen while fireworks blasted into the night sky
🚨#WATCH: As Semi-Truck Crashes Into Trailer Loaded with $100,000 Worth of Fireworks exploded causing a spectacular display
📌#Hope | #Canada
⁰Canada officials say a pickup truck with a trailer had pulled over on the side of the highway when it was struck from behind by a… pic.twitter.com/PMQLomLBlg— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) October 31, 2023
Drivers who were passing along the highway at the time were able to shoot some spectacular footage as the fireworks all went off at once in a scene of complete mayhem.
The silhouette of the massive semi-truck could be seen while fireworks blasted into the night sky, while whooshes, bangs and whizzes could all be heard all around.
Other drivers were able to shoot video of the chaos as the explosives all went off at once with many of them managing to rise above the tree line.
Cpl. Carmen Kiener with Chilliwack RCMP said the incident closed Highway 1 eastbound for an hour, until the fireworks eventually stopped.
‘Obviously, the fireworks were quite the display to passerby motorists,’ she told CBC.
‘It was almost like the fourth of July,’ added Sgt. Mike Sargent.
Drivers along Highway 1 near Hope in British Columbia slowed down as they approached the display
The fireworks display lasted for about an hour until finally all of them had been set off
Drivers caught the exploding fireworks on cellphones and dashcams
Video taken by people at the scene shows fireworks exploding high in the sky above the highway, as continuous pops and bangs are heard
Approaching drivers slowed down as they came across the display which closed the highway
Fortunately, both drivers involved in the collision were able to safely exit their vehicles, although one of them required hospital treatment for minor injuries
‘It was one of those moments where it takes a few minutes to process what we’re seeing in front of us,’ Kendra Bergen told CityNews. ‘It was definitely a spectacle, one I have never seen before.
‘It was that rollercoaster of emotions of the excitement of a fireworks show bigger than any I’ve ever seen in my life to, this is the wrong place, wrong time, it shouldn’t be happening here, and then concern for the driver of the vehicle and anyone else involved once we realized this was probably impacting some people,’ she said.
It is not clear where the fireworks were being transported to and who they were for.