Rainstorm causes hazardous morning commute in Metro Vancouver

Heavy rainfall Monday morning made driving conditions treacherous in Metro Vancouver, with local authorities reporting a number of crashes.

A car rolled over on Highway 99 in West Vancouver, prompting police to remind drivers to slow down as water pooled on the roads. Nobody was seriously injured in the incident, according to local police.

Authorities reported three “serious” crashes involving pedestrians—in Langley, Delta and Richmond—that have resulted in road closures.

The Langley crash—which happened around 6:20 a.m. at 264 Street and Fraser Highway—left a pedestrian with life-threatening injuries after they were hit by a commercial truck, according to local RCMP.

In Delta, the pedestrian was taken to hospital after the crash around 6:30 a.m. at the intersection of 84th Avenue and 116th Street. “At the time of the collision, it was still dark out, with rain and wind complicating environmental conditions,” a spokesperson for the Delta Police Department told CTV News.

The pedestrian’s condition has improved and they will be released from hospital sometime Monday afternoon, Acting Insp. James Sandberg said in an update. “The injuries seem to be less than originally believed, thankfully,” he wrote. 

Richmond Mounties closed the area of No. 2 Road and Steveston Highway after a pedestrian was struck, but did not provide any details about their condition. 

Live traffic information from Google Maps showed several main arteries in the region backed up during the morning commute.

Other traffic incidents reported by DriveBC included on the Port Mann Bridge, Dollarton Highway entrance ramp, Highway 1 east of Capilano Road and the Brunette Avenue overpass.

“Please slow down, leave yourself extra time to get to your destination, and watch out for pedestrians and other road users,” Vancouver police wrote on social media. 

Environment Canada says the “potent storm system” is expected to bring 30 to 40 millimetres of rain to the North Shore, and more in the mountains, before tapering off mid-day Monday.

The federal weather agency warned of strong winds elsewhere in Metro Vancouver. By 12:30 p.m., more than 80,000 customers were without power in the Lower Mainland and Sunshine Coast regions, according to BC Hydro.