Morning traffic can be a nightmare for Tri-City commuters, especially when others need to save a few seconds to try and get to work on time.
Drivers are being reminded to always maintain a safe distance between yourself and the person in front of you after a multi-vehicle collision caused heavy congestion on Highway 1 through Coquitlam today (April 27).
The Tri-City News is told one person from the three vehicles involved was sent to local hospital for non-life threatening injuries.
The incident took place in the left westbound travel lane on Highway 1 near Brunette Avenue (Exit 40) some time after 8 a.m.
BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) explains the lead driver was braking for the traffic ahead, but two others behind them were driving too close and rear-ended them as a result.
Crews were forced to close three lanes — including the HOV — while responding to the crash, and a pair of tow trucks were deployed to haul two of the vehicles off the road.
"When [local commuters] are driving on Highway 1, or anywhere else for that matter, they should be aware of how far someone is in front of you," said BCHP spokeperson Cpl. Mike Halskov.
"Follow a two-second rule between vehicles to ensure a safe distance between yourself and others."
Halskov adds one of the drivers was issued a $368 violation ticket for "driving without due care" under Section 144.1(a) of the B.C. Motor Vehicle Act.
Highway 1 westbound traffic was backed up over the Port Mann Bridge as far as 160 Street (Exit 50) in Surrey.
The road re-opened shortly after 9 a.m., according to DriveBC, with several delays that followed along the stretch.
ICBC's latest stats available shows 1,434 crashes took place between 2016 and 2020 at or near the Brunette Avenue exit on Highway 1, including on the on- and off-ramps.
Of those, nearly 50 per cent (687) resulted in property damage.
