A truck driver was killed and traffic was thrown into chaos for the rest of the day after a fiery crash on Highway 99 Wednesday morning.
Delta police spokesperson Sgt. Sarah Swallow said the truck, which was carrying a load of sand, was travelling south when it lost control and hit the centre median just past the Highway 17A exit. The truck burst into flames and the driver was declared dead at the scene.
A northbound van was also involved. The driver of that vehicle was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Highway 99 was closed in both directions between Highway 17A and Highway 10 for several hours as officers investigated and the site was cleared. One northbound lane was opened to traffic later in the afternoon but the highway was not fully open until around 8 p.m. Drivers heading south through the George Massey Tunnel were diverted into Ladner.
"We just want to thank everybody for their assistance and patience," Swallow said.
Response to the crash required the coming together of firefighters from several departments. Delta firefighter Mark Janson, who was killed when he was hit by a vehicle two weeks ago, was laid to rest Wednesday morning so firefighters from neighbouring jurisdictions, including Vancouver, Surrey and Richmond, were manning Delta's fire halls so local firefighters could attend the service in North Delta.
