Image: Mission RCMP / Mounties in Mission say a 44-year-old motorcyclist from Maple Ridge was killed instantly after colliding with this dump truck on Lougheed Highway (Highway 7) last week. 

By Mike Vanden Bosch

Motorcycle crashes

Two motorcyclists die in separate fatal collisions in Mission area

Sep 6, 2024 | 11:01 AM

MISSION — Mounties in Mission say a 44-year-old man from Maple Ridge was killed instantly after colliding with a dump truck on Lougheed Highway (Highway 7) last week, while another motorcyclist died after attempting to pass another vehicle over the Labour Day weekend.

According to a statement from the Mission RCMP media relations unit, police say the first fatal collision happened Thursday, August 29 shortly before 2 p.m. The crash led to a complete closure of Lougheed Highway for several hours. Personnel from Mission RCMP’s Traffic Services unit, the Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service (ICARS), and the Commercial Vehicle Safety and Enforcement branch were dispatched to conduct the fatality investigation.

Police say evidence indicates that the motorcycle had been travelling eastbound along Lougheed Highway when it crossed over a double-solid line, entered the westbound lane, and struck a westbound dump truck. The truck instantly caught fire as a result of the collision, but the truck driver was remarkably able to escape without injury. Police say investigators did not find evidence of any fault by the truck driver, and no charges are expected to be filed.

The second serious incident involving a motorcycle happened over the Labour Day long weekend when first responders were called to the area of Dewdney Trunk Road, near King Avenue, on Saturday, August 31, at approximately 4 p.m., for a crash involving a blue Yamaha sport motorcycle and a Toyota Corolla. After police spoke with witnesses, examined the collision scene, and conducted a mechanical inspection of the motorcycle, police determined the motorcyclist had been traveling at a high rate of speed northbound on Dewdney Trunk Road, before catching up to the Corolla, which was also traveling northbound. Police say the driver of the Corolla slowed and began making a left turn at the same time that the motorcyclist tried to pass it. The motorcycle hit the driver’s side of the car, launching the rider approximately 100 feet through the air. He was air lifted to hospital, but later died from his injuries. Police say the motorcycle rider was banned from driving at the time, and was also riding a motorcycle without insurance.

Just one day later on Sunday, September 1, at approximately 5 p.m., a motorcycle rider reportedly passed other vehicles through an oncoming lane southbound in the 9300 block of Stave Lake Street. In doing so, the rider lost control of his Harley Davidson, and landed in a ditch. An off-duty nurse passing by rendered medical aid to the driver until paramedics arrived. The 57-year-old male driver from Surrey was airlifted to hospital with injuries that were serious but not believed to be life-threatening.

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Mounties say safety infractions were present in all three crashes, as the motorcycle rider was speeding or passing unsafely.

“Mission RCMP remind riders to expect the unexpected – whether it’s another motorist braking or turning, an animal darting out onto the roadway, or just a sudden loss of control due to road debris or a mechanical issue – these types of unexpected circumstances can greatly increase the chance of something going wrong. Enjoy your ride today, but make sure you get home safely so you can also enjoy your ride tomorrow,” police said.