A year after a trucker crashed on the Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing bridgehead, causing one of the worst morning rush-hour traffic disruptions in recent memory, the driver has been ticketed.
Just after 4 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2021, the driver drifted out of the westbound lane and into the concrete support beam for the Main Street/Dollarton Highway overpass.
It took more than six hours for crews to clear the wreck and spilled fuel, and for engineers to deem the overpass safe to reopen the highway westbound. By then, traffic on the Highway 1 and feeder routes had been brought to a lurch across downtown Vancouver and Burnaby.
The driver, a 48-year-old Surrey man, was taken to hospital to be treated for minor injuries. Later, he was arrested under suspicion of impaired driving and driving while prohibited.
After a lengthy investigation, though, North Vancouver RCMP issued one ticket this week for driving without due care and attention, which comes with a $368-fine and six demerit points on his licence.
North Vancouver RCMP Const. Kelly McIntyre said investigators sought the expertise of a drug recognition expert as well as the RCMP’s national forensic laboratory service, which took many months, before issuing the ticket.
“Investigations for impaired driving are, I think, one of the most complex investigations that we do as police officers and it is such a serious charge, that we want to make sure we do a thorough investigation and get all of the evidence we can before we determine the best way to proceed,” she said. “In general terms, it's just the evidence didn't support (an impaired driving charge).”
The initial suspicion of driving while prohibited also did not bear out, she added.
Because the driver was issued a ticket under the Motor Vehicle Act and not a Criminal Code charge, his name won’t be made public through court records unless he chooses to fight the ticket in court.
In any event, the case carries a strong message for the motoring public, McIntyre said.
“It's the responsibility of every driver to keep our roads safe. Drivers must ensure that their full and complete attention is directed to the roadway while they're driving,” she said.
