High winds are bringing down trees and causing many power outages in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. But most significant, it has caused the closure of Lougheed Highway east of Albion for hours. Motorists encourage to find alternate route. (Black Press Media files)

High winds are bringing down trees and causing many power outages in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. But most significant, it has caused the closure of Lougheed Highway east of Albion for hours. Motorists encourage to find alternate route. (Black Press Media files)

UPDATE: Family trapped as fallen wires shut down Lougheed Highway through Maple Ridge

VIDEO: Traffic is being diverted north to Dewdney Trunk Road Monday afternoon, with Hwy. 7 closed

  • Sep. 7, 2020 12:00 a.m.

No one was injured, but a family of three was trapped inside their courtesy car on the Lougheed Highway in east Maple Ridge Monday afternoon after a windstorm brought down high tension wires on the top of their car.

They had to remain in the vehicle until BC Hydro could cut power and release the wires, witnesses reported.

Lougheed Highway from 240th to 272nd Streets, will likely be shut down until possibly midnight, emergency crews reported a few hours into the call.

High winds have knocked down trees and wires in the Whonnock area of Maple Ridge, in multiple location along the Highway 7 corridor.

The intial call came in a little before 12:30 this afternoon, with sevearl trees having fallen – knocked over at least six hydro poles and damaging several others.

Emergency responders are currently attempting to block off the major thoroughfare and redirect traffic north to Dewdney Trunk Road and other alternate routes north of Lougheed.

Hydro outage updates indicate there are about 600 customer east of 240th Street in Albion east through to Ruskin, in the vicinity of the highway.

While wires are reportedly down along the highway, Maple Ridge also has reports of power out to about 300 more customers west of 232nd Street, north of 124th Avenue, as well as in the 11400-block of 236th Street.

RELATED: Strong winds, gusts expected to hit central and southern B.C. on Labour Day

.

________________________________

• If there is more to this issue, please let us know about it. Email us at editor@mapleridgenews.com. We look forward to hearing from you. In the meantime, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.

Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows News