Police are looking into the hours logged by a tractor-trailer driver hoping it’ll provide some answers to a collision on Highway 1 in Burnaby that brought traffic to a crawl this morning.
The collision happened at about 7:30 a.m. in the westbound lanes of Highway 1, just past the Gaglardi exit. An 18-wheel tractor-trailer possibly lost control, hitting several vehicles.
A total of five cars were involved in the accident, but all drivers and passengers left the scene with only minor injuries, said Cpl. Robert McDonald, spokesperson for RCMP E-Division’s traffic unit.
Whether or not fatigue was what caused the accident, McDonald couldn’t say, but the RCMP is checking the tractor-trailer driver’s hour logs.
“We’re looking into the hours of operation of the driver of the tractor trailer,” McDonald added.
Both the tractor and the trailer had Tennessee licence plates.
Highway 1 westbound between Gaglardi and Kensington remains closed as of press time and RCMP don’t expect it will open for at least an hour (noon). All five vehicles were removed from the scene but a heavy-duty tow truck was needed to clear the tractor-trailer.
“That’s going to take a while to do that.” McDonald said.
And if traffic wasn’t bad enough, a five-car rear-ender near the Brunette exit on Highway 1 at 8:30 a.m. forced the closure of the eastbound lane for about an hour and a half.
According to McDonald the eastbound lane of Highway 1 has since reopened.
