FIERY TRUCK COLLISION
WITH THE HIGHWAY MEDIAN LEAVES ONE DRIVER DEAD, CLOSES HWY 99 SOUTH OF MASSEY
TUNNEL IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
January 28, 2015
British Columbia, Canada:
A truck driver has died in a fiery crash on B.C.'s Highway
99 just south of the Massey Tunnel on Wednesday morning.
Delta police say several witnesses attempted to free the
trapped man from the truck, which was fully engulfed in flames. He was the
lone occupant of the truck and his identity will not be released
pending next of kin notification.
"We tried to get out there to do what we could to help
him, but it was too late. There was loud bangs, tires were flying. It was time
to step back," said witness Gary Edgar.
"We were yelling at him. We were pretty confident he
was unconscious throughout all this, but there was no way to get him out."
The accident happened around 9 a.m. PT near the overpass for Highway 17A,
also known as the Ladner Trunk overpass. Witnesses reported
explosions after the southbound dump truck hit the highway median and burst
into flames.
Two vehicles in the northbound lanes were also damaged
after being hit. The drivers of both vehicles were transported to hospital
with non-life threatening injuries. The cause of the fire is still
under investigation.
Highway closed for
evening rush hour
Eyewitnesses at the
scene of the truck fire on highway 99 south of Vancouver's Massey Tunnel say
fire crews are letting the fire burn itself out. (@steveleenow/Twitter)
The tunnel has been reopened to traffic in both directions,
but southbound traffic detoured around the crash site via the Highway 17A or
River Road exits.
Northbound traffic can access the Massey Tunnel via Highway
17A.
