Accident outside Cloverdale Highway 10 and 168th Street

In case anyone's wondering why the traffic is all snarled around Cloverdale today its due to an accident on Highway 10 and 168th Street.

This afternoon I was heading home from White Rock. I went down 152 Street and turned east on Highway 10 to return to Cloverdale. This was just after 2:30pm. Apparently Highway 10 was shut down at 152 Street just a little after I'd gone down there.

As I approached 168th Street it was clear there was an accident in the intersection because of the emergency vehicles - fire trucks and police cars - effectively blocking any westbound traffic along Highway 10 and any northbound traffic for 168th Street. They were preventing any traffic from using the left hand turn lane to turn north up 168th Street. All traffic traveling south along 168th Street was not allowed to proceed. They had to turn into the Cloverdale Farm Market's parking lot and go back the way they came.

There was a semi-trailer truck pulled over blocking the northbound lanes and a car or truck, something unidentifiable, mangled red metal in the ditch in the west side of the intersection. Unfortunately there was someone on a stretcher and several paramedics over him. I'm pretty sure it was a man on the stretcher.

As I continued on Highway 10 I saw the police had closed off traffic at 172 Street and were diverting all Highway 10 traffic up there. I didn't think that was a good move. Sending all the highway traffic into subdivision hell.

As I drove up my street I saw an air ambulance helicopter coming in for a landing and then I saw a 2nd helicopter but I don't know if it was an ambulance one or not.

After I arrived home the police finally closed off westbound traffic at the Cloverdale Bypass, the traffic lights were the Husky/Mohawk station is. Around that time all the cars that turned left decided to try turning left at the next lights at 57th Avenue, which goes up for a block or so then curves to the right and eventually comes out to 58th Avenue. The choices are then to turn west and go up to 172 Street and then turn right to go towards 60th Avenue. Turning right down 172 wouldn't help because traffic is not allowed west, so back to Cloverdale you go. Heading through Cowtown and coming out at 168th won't help either because that's closed too.

I ran into someone who'd just come home from Richmond. He said Highway 10 was now closed at 152 Street and he had to come home down 64th Avenue which was a traffic nightmare.

I came back from feeding my horses at 7:30pm and Highway 10 is still closed. From driving down 176th Street I could still see the emergency lights at 168th Street and the semi truck is still there.

According to Drive BC the estimated reopening of Highway 10 between Cloverdale and 152 Street is 9pm on Tuesday September 14. But they plan to update again if its still not open.

Closed this long? Fatality, unfortunately, is my guess.

Be safe making your way in and out of Cloverdale tonight.