Highway 1 in Langley had been expected to reopen at or around 3:30 p.m. Friday , following a multi-vehicle crash that caused the westbound lanes to be shut down from 232 to 264 Streets. However, after 4 p.m., crews were still working to clear vehicles and debris from the busy highway.
According to police, three semi-trucks, one large commercial van and one passenger van were involved in the accident, which occurred shortly before 10 a.m. Friday. Four people were taken to hospital with minor injuries in the crash.
Nearly 400 litres of diesel fuel and multiple large pieces of debris were spread across the road, said Russ Jenkins, Township district fire chief.
The incident began when two vehicles collided. Traffic subsequently backed up, and the semis travelling behind them were unable to stop. One of the trucks was sent crashing into the median and flipped over.
Ervin Gordon was one of the motorists involved. He was driving his semi and trailer loaded with pallets of wood to Surrey, when another vehicle rear-ended him and sent him into the ditch. Luckily, he was not hurt.
“I was driving down westbound, and traffic in front of us was slowing down, coming to a stop. And then all of a sudden, the truck behind me rear-ended me and caused a chain reaction,” Gordon told the Times.
“I was actually trapped in my truck because my doors won’t open and my windows won’t come down. But I managed to crawl through my cubby-hole door to get out.”
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Less than 30 minutes after that crash, another collision took place on the freeway — about 200 metres west of 264 Street. Two cars were involved and three people were taken to hospital with minor injuries. Police are not sure if the two collisions are related.
The cause of both crashes is still under investigation, but speed and alcohol are not believed to be factors.
Drive BC is asking people to take alternate routes, but even many of those are now backing up. Fraser Highway, 56 Avenue, 72 Avenue and 16 Avenue through Langley are all congested. There is also one-way alternating traffic on 56 Avenue at 248 Street due to construction.
Those stuck westbound on the freeway are now being re-routed across the centre median to the eastbound lanes of Highway 1.
Eastbound traffic is also at a crawl through the Langley stretch.
— with files from Abbotsford News
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