A missed exit turned into a bad day for a Coquitlam truck driver – and close calls for the drivers behind him – after a significant portion of his cargo dumped onto 32 Avenue as he tried to re-route through South Surrey.
Rey Lane-Smith said he ran into trouble after taking the 32 Avenue exit off of Highway 99 with two trailers of "centre cores". Heading for the lights at 152 Street around 10:30 a.m., "I couldn't make it up the hill," Lane-Smith told Peace Arch News.
Lane-Smith said he unhooked from his second trailer intending to pull the rig around the corner and come back for it when things when sideways – literally. The back trailer jack-knifed, spilling the wood across the eastbound lanes.
"I was on the back of the trailer when it tipped," the 43-year-old said. "I could've been in that mangled mess."
Fortunately, Lane-Smith was able to jump out of harm's way and drivers lined up behind his rig managed to dodge the avalanche.
Lane-Smith said he was en route to Chilliwack from Richmond when the accident occurred. He had intended to get onto Highway 10, but had to take the 32 Avenue exit after missing that opportunity.
The eastbound lanes are closed west of 152 Street.