Image: BC Highway Patrol
Dump truck crash

Abbotsford dump truck driver fired on the spot after allegedly crashing into a ditch while impaired

Sep 10, 2025 | 9:47 AM

DEROCHE — A spokesperson for the BC Highway Patrol says a 44-year-old Abbotsford man is facing extensive fines and the loss of his job after he allegedly rolled his dump truck into a ditch while being impaired.

According to a statement from BCHP spokesperson Corporal Michael McLaughlin, police were called to Lougheed Highway near Deroche, B.C., on Thursday, Sept. 4, at about 2:30 p.m., after witnesses reported a single-vehicle dump truck collision. When police arrived, the dump truck driver was given a breath demand and the reading on the Approved Screening Device was fail.

The dump truck driver was not seriously injured in the collision, but he was issued the following:

  • A 90-day Immediate Roadside Prohibition from driving;
  • The seizure of his BC Driver’s Licence;
  • A ticket for drive without due care and attention, section 144(1)(a) of the BC Motor Vehicle Act (MVA) with a fine of $368;
  • A ticket for open liquor in a motor vehicle, section 76(2) of the Liquor Control and Licensing Act with a fine of $230;
  • A 30-day impound of the dump truck (owned by the driver’s employer).

While police were investigating at the crash scene, the dump truck driver’s supervisor arrived and terminated the driver’s employment on the spot, Cpl. McLaughlin said.

“The majority of professional truck drivers never deal with BC Highway Patrol. They’re too busy working safely and following the rules,” said Cpl. McLaughlin. “But with any big rig, the stakes are too high to be unsafe. We have no tolerance for drivers who are impaired.”