Mounties in Surrey, B.C., say a late model BMW was driving at an "absolutely ridiculous" speed early Friday morning when it crashed into the back of a truck in a construction zone on Highway One, east of Vancouver.
The driver of the vehicle and two passengers, all men in their 40s, were killed instantly in the crash. A fourth man was transported to Surrey Memorial Hospital with serious injuries.
Sgt. Peter Thiessen told ctvbc.ca the car was driving through an active construction zone with a lowered speed limit of 80 kilometres an hour around 3:30 a.m. when it entered a left-hand lane that was shut down to regular traffic.
"This vehicle appears to have passed the point where the fast lane had been blocked off and it was well signed and well lit that it was closed," he said.
"For some reason it crossed over into a closed lane used for construction."
The BMW struck the rear end of a flat bed, flat iron truck parked in the closed lane. Several passengers were ejected from the vehicle and thrown several metres.
In Pictures: Fatal B.C. highway crash
Witness Dean Hamilton told CTV News the BMW driver was going at least 120 kilometres an hour when he passed him heading eastbound near 176 Street.
"I remember looking in my mirrors when he was coming up to me thinking ‘man, this guy is flying,'" he said.
Investigators believe alcohol is quite likely a factor based on scene and eyewitness accounts.
A reconstruction team from the Integrated Collision Analyst Team arrived at the scene shortly after sunrise and was expected to probe the scene for several hours. The eastbound stretch of Highway One between 176 and 192 streets will remain closed until sometime Friday afternoon.
A constant problem
Hamilton said he frequently sees cars speed through the area where the highway is being widened to make way for the new five-lane Port Mann Bridge, which spans the Fraser River connecting Coquitlam to Surrey.
"You just need to slow down, period. And especially in construction zones," he said.
Thiessen said many construction workers were nearby at the time of the accident and it's fortunate none of them were struck.
"This didn't have to happen. This driver made choices and they were the wrong choices," he said.
"Officers are dealing with a gruesome crash and accident scene. It's terrible."
The four victims, all from the Langley/Aldergrove area, are not being identified.
