UH-OH: Truck driver takes off after wedging rig under overpass in North Van

VANCOUVER – A transport truck hauling a large, square container slammed into an overpass in North Vancouver on Tuesday, snarling traffic on Highway 1 for hours, and B.C.'s latest case of overheight mayhem also has a bizarre twist.

RCMP say the driver fled after the crash that wedged the tarp-covered box underneath the Main Street overpass of Highway 1, buckling the flatbed trailer supporting it.

A statement from North Vancouver RCMP says they have issued a $368 ticket to the company that owns the transport truck because its driver failed to remain at the scene of an accident.

Engineers have determined the overpass is structurally safe and the eastbound lanes of the highway reopened at around 3 a.m. on Wednesday, while an investigation by North Vancouver RCMP and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement unit continues.

Data on the Ministry of Transportation website show there have been 23 cases involving trucks colliding with bridges or overpasses in B.C. since December 2021, with 10 of those collisions happening this year.

No one was injured in the latest collision.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 20, 2023.