Vancouver's International Airport received an unexpected arrival early Tuesday morning after a large SUV crashed into the international terminal and drove more than 50 feet inside.
A valet was behind the wheel of the black SUV when it careened through the automatic sliding glass doors and deep into the U.S. departures area around 5:30 a.m.
In Pictures: SUV crashes into airport
Police say the man appeared unaware the vehicle was in reverse when he hit the gas.
"[He] was parking the vehicle at the curb, backing up against the curb, and hit the gas a little too hard and came shooting through the doors," Staff Sgt. Murray McCaulay told CTV News.
The driver is shaken up but is not injured, he said.
The speeding vehicle knocked out a three-person bench and a small counter before coming to rest beside a Christmas tree near the Delta check-in counter.
The SUV came close to hitting a staff member who was working on the newly-constructed counter. It was to open in two days.
"[He] left the area immediately when he heard the impact of the vehicle coming through the front doors," McCaulay said. "A very close call."
The rest of the terminal was relatively empty, he said.
RCMP and airport cleanup crews are on scene investigating and assessing the damage.
A YVR spokesperson said airport operations and traffic are not affected.
The owner of the vehicle had just checked in for a departure when the accident happened. He provided a statement to police before catching his flight.
