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Lifted trailer box rams overpass in Richmond, B.C., snarling traffic, RCMP say

RICHMOND, B.C. — A busy commuter route in Metro Vancouver closed for hours Friday while engineers assessed the safety of an overpass involved in an unusual crash. RCMP Cpl.
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Firefighters clean up after a trailer from a truck slammed into a highway overpass in Richmond, B.C., on Friday, in this RCMP handout image posted on their Twitter feed. The crash before the Knight Street Bridge snarled traffic for hours. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-RCMP **MANDATORY CREDIT**

RICHMOND, B.C. — A busy commuter route in Metro Vancouver closed for hours Friday while engineers assessed the safety of an overpass involved in an unusual crash.

RCMP Cpl. Dennis Hwang says a trailer being towed by a commercial vehicle rammed into the overpass just south of the Knight Street Bridge in Richmond, B.C. 

He says the trailer with a box on top was in the lifted or dumping position when it crashed into the overpass. 

Hwang says it's unclear what the circumstances were before the crash, which happened at about 7:30 Friday morning.

A statement from police says the driver of the commercial vehicle was not co-operative with investigators.

The southbound lanes off the bridge are a main route for traffic heading out of Vancouver during the evening rush hours. 

"Engineering and structural assessments are being conducted on the Knight Street Bridge deck, Cambie Road overpass, and any nearby areas affected," the police statement says. 

Police are also appealing to anyone who caught the incident on dashcam video to contact them. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2023. 

The Canadian Press