RCMP Arrests Truck Driver After 6.8-Kilometre Wrong-Way Drive

RCMP arrested a truck driver after a wrong-way drive on the Trans-Canada Highway through the West Shore covered almost seven kilometres on June 13. The 52-year-old from the Vancouver area was later ticketed and released pending further investigation.

Calls started coming in around 4:40 a.m. near the Helmcken Road exit, RCMP said. Officers found the truck and tried to stop it, but the driver kept going until the vehicle came to rest near the Leigh Road exit, a stretch Google Maps places at 6.8 kilometres.

Helmcken Road to Leigh Road

RCMP arrested the driver for dangerous operation of a motor vehicle. The truck was towed from the scene, and the case was referred to the Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement branch and the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles.

The driver received tickets for driving without due care and attention and failure to stop for police. RCMP also said their investigation ruled out alcohol or drug impairment, and that "and it appears that driver confusion contributed to the driving actions."

RCMP Response

There were no reports of injuries. Laura Brougham reported the RCMP response and the charges and tickets issued after the truck crossed the West Shore corridor the wrong way.

For anyone using the Trans-Canada Highway that morning, the practical consequence was the police response and tow work that cleared the truck from the roadway. The driver now faces the traffic tickets, the criminal allegation of dangerous operation, and the separate review handled by commercial vehicle authorities and the Superintendent of Motor Vehicles.