Multiple accidents and road closures in B.C. due to ice and snow
Accidents close Highway 1 East in Burnaby and the Coquihalla Highway
Snowfall and freezing temperatures created dangerous condition on roads along B.C.'s South Coast over the weekend, leading to numerous fender benders and more serious accidents.
On Saturday, a serious crash around 8:30 a.m. PT involving multiple vehicles closed Highway 1 near Gaglardi Way in Burnaby for more than four hours, backing up traffic for most of the day.
Highway 5 at the Coquihalla Summit was also closed due to a collision for most of the day.
Multiple collisions, some serious
The accidents were among several collisions over a 24-hour period due to snow and ice on the roads.
On Saturday morning, there was an eight-car pileup at Douglas Road and Parker Street in Burnaby. The cars crashed into each other, a fence and a tree. The accident caused no major injuries but city crews were called out to de-ice the road.
In New Westminster, police reported a collision on the Brunette Highway in New Westminster. The eastbound off-ramp at Highway 1 and United Boulevard was also temporarily closed due to accidents caused by black ice.
In Delta, Highway 99 at Highway 91 was closed for a few hours Saturday because of accidents also caused by icy roads.
On Friday, it was snowing heavily at about 9 p.m. when a van and a car collided at 222nd Street and the Fraser Highway in Langley, B.C. Two people were trapped in the car. A total of four people were taken to hospital, two of them with serious injuries.
Police are advising motorists to take road conditions into account and drive a little slower while the winter weather lasts.