When four vehicles were involved in a crash at the busy intersection of Hodgins Avenue and Yale Road on Feb. 26, the location was a familiar one to emergency responders.
It’s not the worst spot in Chilliwack, but is the sixth worst intersection for motor vehicle collisions over the last five years, according to ICBC data.
With the reduction of traffic during most of 2020 amid the pandemic, crashes were at a low level not seen in many years.
There were a total of 2,996 crashes in 2020, according to ICBC data, down from 4,765 in 2019, which was itself down from a five-year average of 5,107 and a peak of 5,423 in 2017.
And while overall traffic and accidents were down in 2020, Chilliwack’s busiest intersection remains the most dangerous.
There were 71 crashes at Luckakuck Way and Vedder Road in 2020 putting it number one on the the list.
The intersection was the top crash site yet again, but 71 is about half of 2019 when there were 134 crashes. Even that was down from the 140 in 2018 and a high of 173 in 2015.
READ MORE: Here are Chilliwack’s top 10 worst intersections for crashes
In the last five years, Luckakuck and Vedder remains the worst for crashes at 378.
(See below for the full top 10 list.)
The second worst intersection, a spot similarly held firmly for the past half decade, is where Vedder Road meets Promontory Road (to the east) and Watson Road (to the west) where there were 64 crashes in 2020, down from 113 crashes in 2019, a number that has gone steadily down from 143 in 2015.
Over the past five years there were 338 crashes at the intersection. The only other intersection over 300 was Evans Road and Yale Road.
As for that crash on Feb. 26, the incident was allegedly the result of a stolen vehicle incident. Charged in connection with that crash is 38-year-old Connie Iqulak Pudluk and 45-year-old Stacey Dean Willard. Pudluk is charged with various offences including theft of motor vehicle and possession of stolen property. Willard was charged also with dangerous operation of a vehicle and failure to stop, according to Court Services Online.
Pudluk is next due in court to face her charges on July 6.
READ MORE: UPDATE w/PHOTOS: No one injured in four-vehicle collision in Chilliwack
Top 10 Chilliwack intersections by number of crashes in 2020
1. Luckakuck Way and Vedder Road – 71
2. Promontory/Watson Road and Vedder Road – 64
3. Evans Road and Yale Road – 52
4. Annis Road & Annis Road offramp at Highway 1 – 31
5. Highway 1 and Yale Road offramp – 30
6. Kerr Avenue and Vedder Road and Yale Road – 27
7. Highway 1 and Vedder Road offramp – 27
8. Cheam Avenue and Hodgins Avenue and Yale Road – 26
9. Prest Road and Prest Road offramp – 26
10. South Sumas Road and Vedder Road – 26
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A black sedan, white SUV, red pickup truck and black hatchback were all involved in a four-vehicle collision at Hodgins Avenue and Yale Road on Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
A black sedan, white SUV, red pickup truck and black hatchback were all involved in a four-vehicle collision at Hodgins Avenue and Yale Road on Friday, Feb. 26, 2021. (Jenna Hauck/ Chilliwack Progress)
