A 57-year-old man is dead after his vehicle was struck on Canada Way early this morning.
According to Burnaby RCMP, the driver was trying to make a left turn on to Canada Way from Rayside Avenue at about 6 a.m., when his two-door Mazda MX3 was t-boned by an oncoming GCM Jimmy travelling down the hill.
“(The Mazda) was at the intersection and as the (Jimmy) driver came down Canada Way that Mazda pulled out, trying to make a left-hand turn to go up Canada Way towards Burris, and was struck directly in the driver’s side,” said Sgt. Dave Bell of Burnaby RCMP’s traffic services unit.
The driver of the Mazda was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead soon after he was brought in. The 57-year-old driver was a resident of Burnaby but police aren’t releasing his name until his next of kin have been notified.
Bell said speed and road conditions do not appear to be a factor in the crash. Investigators will be looking at a number of other factors including possible distracted driving.
“It could be as simple as the driver wanted to make the turn and maybe he was in a hurry and just didn’t … estimate the distance that (the Jimmy) driver was away, or the speed or something,” Bell added.
B.C. Coroners Service will conduct an autopsy on the driver and release an official cause of death, while Burnaby RCMP conduct an investigation. At this time there is no evidence to suggest the crash was the result of a criminal offence, Bell said.
Canada Way was closed to traffic between Burris Street and Sperling Avenue from about 6 a.m. to just after 10 a.m. while police collected evidence. The driver of the Jimmy was taken to hospital and released, suffering only minor injuries.
