The BC Highway Patrol is asking the public for help in identifying the driver who struck a CP Rail overpass on Highway 1 on Tuesday.
The collision occurred shortly before 4:00 p.m. on the westbound lanes between Glover Road and 232 Street in Langley.
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Cpl. Michael McLaughlin says that the driver, of what police believe was an auto transport trailer, did not stop as required by law and contact the police after hitting the overpass.
“Whenever you are involved in a collision that may have damaged another person’s property, and that includes government property, there’s an expectation that you must either report the incident to police or leave your information with the other owner,” McLaughlin told 1130 NewsRadio.
He adds that most drivers are following the rules.
“The vast majority of commercial truckers understand how critically important it is to be secure and aware of the dimensions of your load all of the time, whenever you’re on a highway.”
He says that it is unlikely that the driver did not realize what happened and could now face a substantial fine for not complying with the law.
“In extreme cases, you could be looking at criminal charges for failing to remain at the scene of a collision. There are Motor Vehicle Act charges as well that could come as a result of this,” he said.
The degree of the charge depends on the results of the investigation, which is now ongoing.
“We have to investigate to figure out exactly what happened and what the driver knew or didn’t know,” McLaughlin explained.
The BC Highway Patrol is now asking anyone who saw what happened, including potential dash-cam footage of the scene, to contact police.
Just a few days before the incident on Tuesday, another driver struck the same CP Rail overpass in Langley. Mounties say that the driver came forward later that day, after he had first left the scene.
“The truck driver did not wait for police at the scene, which is ideal, but subsequently reached out to police and is cooperating,” said McLaughlin.
B.C.’s Ministry of Transportation has so far counted five overpass strikes in the Lower Mainland this year — including the one on Tuesday.
Earlier this month, the ministry announced starting construction on an overheight-detection system (OHDS) at the No. 3 Road overpass along Highway 1 near Chilliwack.
