sans a2 Castlegar News October 29, 1989 Kamloop KAMLOOPS (CP) — The driver of a runawgy semi trailer that smashed through cars on a busy steeét, killing five people and injuring more than a dozen others, likely missed the city bypass before the truck's brakes failed, police said Saturday “We have a pretty good-reason to believe the brakes were not working propérly, but we can’t confirm that until we complete the investigation,’” RCMP Sgt, Larry Wagner Said aay after the fiery crash “It appears he was in the wrong lane. Why he was there we're not sure and we may never know his reasons for being in that lane (leading into town)."” Heavy trucks are prohibited on C ‘olumbia Street where witnesses say the truck barrelled along for up to six kilometres. Trucks are supposed to use a bypass that goes around the city Truck driver Travis Penner, 30, of Red Deer, Alta., died in the crash along with Barbara Ann Nieder, 40, Cory James, four, and Rolande Vezina, 39, all of Kamloops, and Hildegard Schlingmann, $4, of Logan Lake, about 60 kilometres from Kamloops. * Penner wass driving a leased semi carrying steel beams for Westcoast Freightlines of Edmonton. After it hit several vehicles, the truck smashed into a retaining wall at Royal Inland Hospital, exploded and burst into flames. “Jt Would have only been his second trip through,"” said Wagner ner made one trip from Edmontdn to Vancouver in early October but it was dark when he drove by Kamloops, he said. Penner began driving for the com pany this month, but Wagner couldn't say how much driving experience he had OUT OF CONTROL “He was. out of control long before he hit any vehicles," Wagner said. One witness saw the truck ap: parently already out of control about (wo kilometres from the hospital but couldn't see smoke coming from the brakes or smell an odor of burning brake lining, he said. Socreds look united behind Vander Zalm VANCOUVER (CP) — Premier Bill Vander Zalm won overwhelming sup port from his party’s grassroots Friday after making a plea for Social Crediters “+1 would have trouble staying in a party that would not let us debate,”* a clearly upset Levy told reporters out ask the party executive to appoint a committee to examine the cortrover sial wording. And Levy said later that if thai happens, he will not resign: The driver was blowing his horn and flashing his lights, Wagner said. Some witnesses estimated the truck's speed at 120 kilometres an hour as it roared down the steep incline of Columbia in the last few hundred metres before the hospital Of the 15 people injured, five were admitted to hospital. One was in sefious condition Crews worked late Friday to remove the mangled and flattened vehicles and steel beams. Residents of Kamloops, an Interior city of about 63,000 about 260 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, were shocked by the accident “There’s no question this was a tragedy for Kamloops,” said Vic Poleschuk, a vice-president of B.C s truck crash kills 5 Lottery Corp. and the chairman of the committee that put in a successful bid to host the 1993 Canada Summer Games, The city, whose residents work in diverse occupations from ranching and pulp mill work to transportation, has been in a jubilant mood since it was awarded the games, he said, Kamloops has also suffered through rough economic times with high unemployment “Weare all very shocked by it,"’ said Peter Wing, 75,4 lifetime resident and a former mayor. His council wanted the bypass constructed more than a kilometre south of the city and connected further east and west to the Trans Canada Highway, he said. However, the provincial High ways Department decided in the early 1970s on the current location Briefly to unite behind him **To those who say Bilf Vander Zaim cannot win, | have a very reply,"” Vander Zalm told more than 1,200 delegates at the party's annual convention “*No one is bigger than the party Bill Vander Zalm does not stand alone He stands with Social Credit. Social Credit will win.”’ The optimistic, tanned premier may stand without one high-profile party member, however: Michael Levy, a failed Socred byelection candidate from the well-heeled riding of Van couver-Point Grey, strode out from the hall threatening to resign after delegates voted to delay a con stitutional debate until next year simple side. **1 will be resigning from the par ty.” Levy, a Jew, had argued for a review of wording in the almost-40-year-old Social Credit constitution that the par ty should encourage “the universally recognized principles of Christianity in human relations LEVY JEERED Delegates jeered and booed Levy's outburst — which he had promised earlier in the event of refusal to debate — and one, Victor Eaton of Delta, ac cused Levy of grandstanding. “lt makes him more of a name and my guess ishe likes that Longtime Socred Grace McCarthy, lauded for her conciliation abilities, later waded through reporters to reach Levy. She promised him she would *E don’t think that unity has been torn apart,”” said the carefully coiffed McCarthy. “lt (the reference to Christianity) probably has fio place at allin the constitution.”