Over the last couple of weeks as travel has picked up along Highway 3 and 97, there have been multiple collisions and closures, including several fatal incidents within a single week.

Three people were killed in the first of several collisions on Highway 3 between Nov. 26 to Dec. 3, on Friday, Nov. 26, after two tractor-trailers collided in a head-on collision and caught fire.

That crash closed the roadway for around 18 hours, making it difficult to respond to a second collision further south near Eastgate. That second collision did not result in any fatalities. It’s believed that slippery road conditions were a factor.

The next day the highway was pre-emptively closed by the government in anticipation of potential flooding.

READ MORE: Three die in fiery truck collision on Highway 3 near Princeton

Not long after the highway had been reopened on Monday, Nov. 29, there was a single-vehicle crash between Hedley and Princeton, leaving one person dead.

Highway 3, would further be complicated from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3, when flooding led to detours along the same stretch between Princeton and Hedley.

READ MORE: Penticton crash on Highway 97 Channel Parkway was fatal

A fifth fatal collision would occur the next day on Highway 97 in Penticton when witnesses say they saw a black truck travelling north t-bone an SUV turning south onto the highway.

Then on Dec. 1, the last major closure occurred on Highway 97 in Kaleden, after a pickup truck collided with a tractor-trailer and caused a fuel spill.

READ MORE: When Highway 97 closes there are few alternatives left

With the heavy increase in traffic to-and-from the Lower Mainland, everyone should express extra caution while driving, stated RCMP.

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