Accident at 176th Street and 32nd Avenue near Cloverdale

Most people have probably heard on the news about the horrific accident that occurred south of Cloverdale on Sunday morning April 28, 2013 at the intersection of 176th Street and 32nd Avenue that resulted in 5 deaths and one person airlifted to hospital.

I did not witness the accident and I did not see the scattered debris aftermath.

A stop at McDonald's for the last day to purchase snack sized smoothies for $1 probably stopped us from being in the middle of the action and gave us about a 10 minute grace period from being at or near the accident.

Just after 11am we headed south on 176th Street, going to an address in Hazelmere on 184th Street. As we neared 40th Avenue it was clear that traffic had come to a stop and there was a police car with lights on blocking the intersection so no traffic could continue south. There was no northbound traffic coming down 176th and we could see flashing lights of emergency vehicles ahead at the 32nd Avenue intersection. Seeing as how we were going to 184th Street anyway we got into the left hand turn lane at 40th Avenue. The police officer was waving all the cars to turn right down 40th towards 168th Street. The police officer stopped us from turning left but that was because an ambulance and two buses were in the southbound lanes of 176th heading north to Cloverdale and he wanted them to get back into the correct lane of traffic. The ambulance was not lit up.

We drove down 40th to 184th and continued southbound. When we got to the intersection at 32nd Avenue and 184th, there was a police officer blocking the lanes there so no one could travel west along 32nd towards 176th Street. When we arrived at the 4 way stop at 24th Avenue there was a lot of traffic coming down that street and turning left to go down 184th Street. At this point we knew there must have been a very bad accident at the intersection at 32nd Avenue and 176th Street because the police had set up a large perimeter to keep traffic out of that area. We had no delays on our route.

We reached our friend's house a little further down 184th and weren't there very long. Now we had to decide how to get back to Cloverdale. I'd have been inclined to get away from the traffic and head north on 192nd Street except I remember seeing a sign that the road is closed for a few weeks around the train tracks, 50th Avenue. We decided to take our chances and go north down 184th Street. When we got to the 4 way stop at 24th Avenue there was a lot of traffic heading west bound. They were backed up nearly a block away from 184th Street. Crazy. Those people should have headed a little further south to 20th Avenue or even 16th or 12th or 8th to avoid that long line up. When we neared the lights at 184th and 32nd a car got into the left hand turn lane. You couldn't see the police car from this direction until you were nearly on top of it taking a turn. He didn't get too far. We didn't have to wait at the lights. We decided to head west on 40th back to 176th Street taking a guess that a lot of cars wouldn't know to turn there. That meant all the detoured cars would end up at the lights at 184th and Highway 10 and because the lights are short there it would take awhile to get through.

And that's what happened. Nobody ahead of us turned left at 40th. When we arrived at the 176th Street intersection the police officer was no longer there, replaced by a road flagger crew.

Like everyone else we watched the news and found out about the devastating accident.

Today I drove past the scene of the accident. There was a camera crew van parked outside the gas station under construction at 176th and 32nd. A cameraman was walking around the parking lot. Across the street at the bottom of the hill a cameraman was interviewing a woman. All the debris from the crash had been removed except for a couple of busted rental fences at the gas station.

I don't know how many people drive these roads but I'm on them daily. The speed limit on Highway 10 is 80km between Cloverdale and 32nd Avenue. From 32nd to just south of 8th its 70km. All the other roads in the area - 184th Street, 168th Street, 40th Avenue 32nd Avenue, 24th Avenue, etc are all 60km. The problem with driving along 184th is that some people think its their own personal autobahn and drive whatever speed they want. I've been passed like I was standing still.

Condolences to the family and friends who lost their loved ones. Very sad.

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.

Accident at Millenium Park?

We were driving eastbound on 64th Avenue this morning and noticed the edge of Cloverdale's Millenium Park, approximately across from Tim Hortons looks like a truck ran through it. Bushes, trees, and the split log rail fence are torn apart along the road. Its quite a mess and not particularly good news for whatever clean up crew the city will have to send in to get it looking better by Thursday for the Canada Day celebrations.

The real question is, was there an accident here or did somebody do this on purpose?