Teen injured after towed behind vehicle on toboggan

Police say a teenager in Lake Country is fortunate he wasn’t seriously injured after riding a toboggan behind a pickup truck.

RCMP responded to Oyama Road near Broadwater Road in the afternoon of Jan. 17 to a report of a pedestrian hit by a vehicle.

Officers determined the driver of a Ford F150 had been towing a person on a toboggan on the rural road at about 30 km/h.

“An SUV approaching from the opposite direction attempted to avoid the individual on the toboggan as he drifted into their lane. However, the tobogganer collided with the rear of the SUV,” Cpl. Ryder Birtwistle said.

Police say the 19-year-old rider suffered numerous non-life threatening injuries and was transported to Kelowna General Hospital by ambulance.

The driver of the truck was issued a violation ticket for driving without due care and attention which comes with a $368 fine and six demerit points.

“This incident could easily have ended in tragedy and was entirely avoidable,” Birtwistle remarked. “Please enjoy the snow in the safest possible manner and help us maintain road safety especially during challenging driving conditions.“