Travellers on the Sea to Sky Highway were made to sit for over two hours on a sunny Sunday (April 29) when a suspected drunk Lower Mainland driver lost control of his vehicle.
Numerous rescue agencies converged and stopped traffic at a narrow stretch of Highway 99 at Porteau Cove Sunday afternoon, to perform a difficult and dangerous extrication following the single vehicle accident.
At approximately 5 p.m., a northbound 1992 Ford Thunderbird lost control and went off the east side of Highway 99, over the CN rail line and over a steep embankment.
The car came to a stop at the ocean's edge on the Howe Sound. A tow truck was used to secure the vehicle and blocked traffic for hours as it parked perpendicular to the narrow stretch of the highway.
The vehicle had to be secured before rescue workers began extracting the driver, according to RCMP members Cpl. Dave Ritchie.
The vehicle was secured by tow cables while members of the Lions Bay Fire Department, Lions Bay Search and Rescue and BC Ambulance personnel extricated the driver. Coast Guard rescuers then transported into Porteau Cove by hovercraft the 40-year old male driver believed to be from Burnaby, whose name has not been released.
The driver had suffered serious injuries. He was transported to an air ambulance and then airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital to Vancouver General Hospital.
Meanwhile search and rescue personnel searched the shoreline for possible passengers, but soon abandoned the effort when the driver informed workers he was the lone occupant.
The investigation into the cause of the collision is continuing and alcohol is believed to be a contributing factor, according to RCMP. The accident continued to wreak havoc when long line-ups caused by the delays created the impetus for another accident, this time involving three vehicles.
Rescue workers were called to an accident scene on Highway 99 in the early evening of Sunday (April 29) when three vehicles collided in a domino effect pile-up.
Two rentals vehicles and a Lower Mainland vehicle were involved in the accident.
None of the occupants sustained injuries.
