British soldier turned ice road trucker dies in Alaska Highway plunge

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LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — A former British soldier turned ice road trucker has died following a crash on the Alaska Highway, reports the Calgary Sun.

Brett Colley, a 45-year-old father from Bewdley, Worcestershire, when driving through the Pink Mountain area of northern B.C. on Nov. 13 when his truck plunged off the highway. The fatal crash is still under investigation by the RCMP and his trucking company, H&R Transport, according to the Sun report.

“I knew him very well — he was a great guy, absolutely. He was very dedicated to the company and to his family,” said Mike Weir, safety boss at H&R Transport in Lethbridge. “He’ll be missed.”

According to the Sun, Colley became “enthralled” with the idea of trucking in the Great White North after watching the television show Ice Road Truckers, and ultimately moved to Lethbridge to realize his dream.

Colley’s funeral will take place this week back in England, after H&R Transport helped to return him to his family back home, including his Russian wife Svetlana and four-year-old son Misha.

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  • My best friend in school and out of school before he enlisted.

    I have reservations over the circumstances of this incident, given that he was very competent and a professional truck driver, this does not sound at all like Bretts driving. The co-driver is the sole survivor and that testimony has not got, in my eyes, any credibility.

    I chose the name RD50 because only Brett would get it, along with myself and another couple of friends.

    Reply