By Joel van der Veen

DAVIDSON — Winter arrived in dramatic fashion last Wednesday as Davidson and area received several centimetres of snowfall overnight.

A chilly Halloween evening turned into a white winter morning, producing plenty of ice on local roads and dangerous conditions on Highway 11.

The Davidson Volunteer Fire Department responded to two calls on Wednesday, both involving trucks that had rolled over and wound up in the ditch.

Deputy fire chief Don Willner said it’s pretty typical for the department to respond to similar calls each fall as winter makes its first appearance.

“It’s amazing that we are still caught off guard by snow,” he remarked.

The first call came at 4:10 a.m., with one rescue unit and one fire engine responding to a rollover on the highway about five kilometres north of Craik.

A one-tonne truck, towing a trailer with a tractor onboard, left the road and rolled into the ditch, leaving the driver trapped inside.

Willner said responders expected the worst when they arrived, based on the scale of the damage.

However, the driver suffered no injuries, Willner said, adding, “He was quite lucky.”

The occupant was removed with no tools required and both units returned to the fire hall by 5:45 a.m.

The second rollover was reported at 8:50 a.m., again on Highway 11 about one kilometre south of town. A single rescue unit responded with six members.

The driver of a northbound semi truck had lost control, and the vehicle spun around 180 degrees and rolled into the centre ditch.

The driver suffered minor injuries but was able to remove himself from the vehicle. He was transported to Davidson Health Centre. The fire crew returned to the hall at 9:40 a.m.

In social media posts on Wednesday, the fire department asked residents to avoid driving on the icy highway unless necessary, and to always drive according to conditions.

Members of the Craik RCMP detachment were also kept busy on Wednesday, responding to a total of nine highway incidents between 4 a.m. and 1 p.m.