Impaired driving suspected after pedestrian dies in Abbotsford, B.C.

Abbotsford police say they arrested a suspected impaired driver after a pedestrian was killed in a collision on Sunday morning.

Officers were called to the 30000-block of Harris Road just before 8 a.m. PT Sunday, after reports of a crash involving a pickup truck and a pedestrian, according to a police statement.

Emergency responders found a white Dodge pickup truck with significant damage after it hit a pedestrian and sheared off a power pole, the police said.

The pedestrian succumbed to his injuries despite life-saving efforts and the truck driver — a man in his 20s — was arrested for impaired driving.

Sgt. Paul Walker with AbbyPD said the driver was the sole occupant of the pickup truck, and the victim was a father who is now being mourned by family and friends.

"In the month of January this year so far, our officers have removed 115 impaired drivers from Abbotsford roadways alone," he told CBC News. That compares with 48 impaired drivers in January 2024.

"So you can see the numbers continue to rise. These numbers are concerning."

There is no excuse for impaired driving, Walker said. People need to think about whether they're fit to drive before they get behind the wheel. 

"Actions have devastating impacts in people's lives and today was an example of that."

Walker said collision reconstructionists would continue to investigate what happened prior to the crash in the rural area close to the Aldergrove Industrial Park in Langley.

"Harris Road, between [Mount] Lehman Road and Ross Road, remains closed as officers gather evidence at the scene," police said on Sunday morning.

Anyone with more information on the crash, including dashcam footage of the area, is asked to call police.