Watch: Cop car slides into fire truck during B.C.’s first snowfall

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The first winter storm of the year blanketed British Columbia over the weekend, wreaking havoc on the roads across the province, causing accidents, power outages, and flight cancellations. Vancouver, which sits at sea level and infrequently sees any meaningful snowfall, even got a taste of the white stuff. And while you might expect those Coastal motorists to make headlines for inadequately navigating these suddenly-winter driving conditions, this time, it was a few first responders in the B.C. Interior. 

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Watch: Cop car slides into fire truck during B.C.’s first snowfall Back to video

Video posted to social media platform Tiktok shows a first responder vehicle from the Williams Lake fire department that has lost traction on a snow-covered residential street and is sliding down hill, pushing a civilian vehicle in front of it forward. The dark grey civilian SUV clips a parked white pick-up as it continues to slide, then its tires appear to turn ever so slightly, helping both vehicles to come to a stop. 

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As if that wasn’t enough excitement for onlookers, a second video captured not long after shows an RCMP car making the exact same mistake as it slowly collides into the stopped fire truck. Luckily, no one was injured during either of the accidents, but it goes to show that even first responders who are trained to manoeuvre their vehicles in extreme weather conditions can fall victim to Mother Nature and her slippery ways.

The videos have since gone viral, garnering a combined 10 million views on Tiktok alone. But that isn’t the icing on the cake. Provincial insurer BC Health Services (BCHS) decided that this kind of social media clout deserves a celebration and sent a custom-made cake to the Williams Lake RCMP HQ, expertly decorated with a toy white police cruiser and a red fire truck depicting the crash, and a message that read “Congrats on your viral video!!” in red icing.

“When you make your first viral video and your collegues [sic] at #BCHS bake you a cake to commemorate it,” the Williams Lake RCMP wrote on Facebook, playfully adding that “our Constables did insist we point out that the #williamslakefire truck started it.”

The RCMP also used the photo opp to remind motorists that winter driving is here again and to ask folks to be cautious as conditions can change abruptly.