A tragedy unfolded on British Columbia's Highway 1 early Wednesday morning when a wrong-way pickup truck collided head-on with a sedan, leaving two people dead and sparking a major traffic disruption that affected tens of thousands of commuters across the Lower Mainland.
The collision occurred shortly after midnight near Burnaby, when the pickup truck travelling in the opposite direction struck the four-door sedan heading westbound on the highway. Burnaby RCMP responded to the scene, where emergency personnel pronounced two passengers from the sedan dead at the location.
"Tragically, two passengers in the sedan were pronounced deceased at the scene," RCMP stated in an official release.
The sedan's driver, a 50-year-old Coquitlam resident, was transported to hospital with serious injuries and remains under medical care. Investigators identified the two fatalities as a 34-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man, both from Surrey.
Police have arrested a 32-year-old Surrey man in connection with the crash. The driver of the pickup truck was taken into custody at the scene, though he was subsequently released as the investigation continues. RCMP believe alcohol played a significant role in the collision.
"Our thoughts are with the families, friends, and everyone affected by this collision," said Cpl. Brett Urano of B.C. RCMP in a statement released to media.
The crash forced authorities to close a critical stretch of Highway 1 between Kensington Avenue and Sprott Street for several hours Wednesday morning. The highway remained blocked until just before noon, creating ripple effects across the region's transportation network.
At a news conference Wednesday afternoon, Cpl. Mike Kalanj of Burnaby RCMP acknowledged the significant impact on commuters. "Tens of thousands of commuters may have been impacted by the highway closure, and some may have been upset," Kalanj said. "But just remember that we have two people that didn't make it home last night."
Kalanj noted that the corridor has experienced an unfortunate pattern of serious crashes in recent years, underscoring ongoing safety concerns on this stretch of the major transportation artery.
Police Seek Witnesses and Dash Cam Footage
Investigators are actively seeking information from anyone who witnessed the collision or has dashboard camera footage from Highway 1 between midnight and 12:30 a.m. PT on Wednesday morning. Anyone with relevant information is urged to contact Burnaby RCMP at 604-526-9744 and reference file number 2026-3201. A toll-free tip line is also available for Canadian callers at 1-866-306-4636.
This article was adapted from reporting by CBC British Columbia. Read the original CBC report.