A busy commuter route in Burnaby was closed for hours Thursday morning following a grisly car crash that claimed two lives.
The impact of the single-vehicle accident on Canada Way between Burris Street and Sperling Avenue tore the black sedan apart as it struck a power pole.
It appears both occupants of the vehicle, a male driver and female passenger, died on impact.
"[They were] unresponsive, totally, right from the time we arrived," said Capt. David Younger of Burnaby Fire Services.
"We didn't touch them, but they didn't move or moan."
The wreckage was so twisted it took crews six hours to recover one of the bodies – a traumatic scene even for season first responders.
"It is hard on the crews, and we'll be checking everyone. It's very hard to know how it affects each person," Younger said.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation. The victims haven't been publicly identified, but both are believed to be in their 30s.
Area residents said the stretch of Canada Way is dangerous, with cars zooming by too often.
"Fast, fast, fast, all the time," said Rosa Mattiello.
There was another fatal crash in the same area in December 2013, killing a 57-year-old man, but speed was not believed to be a factor.
Thursday's collision also knocked out power to hundreds of nearby homes. Hydro crews scrambled to restore electricity as quickly as possible, but more than 100 customers were still affected in the early afternoon.
With a report from CTV Vancouver's Tom Popyk
