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Flaming Beetle shuts Lions Gate Bridge

A car catching on fire was responsible for the Lions Gate Bridge two-hour closure Saturday morning. On Oct. 4, just after 10:30 a.m.
car
A crispy Volkswagen Beetle on the Lions Gate Bridge.

A car catching on fire was responsible for the Lions Gate Bridge two-hour closure Saturday morning.

On Oct. 4, just after 10:30 a.m., West Vancouver police received a report about a traffic collision between a Volkswagen Beetle and a vehicle towing a trailer that ended in a fire.

West Vancouver Police Department spokesman Sgt. Tim Kravjanski said the vehicle with the trailer was travelling northbound when, for a yet unknown reason, the trailer swung across the centre line and into oncoming traffic.

The Beetle travelling southbound had no time to respond and crashed into the trailer head on. The car's front end was destroyed on impact and it burst into flames. "It's like hitting a rock wall," Kravjanski said. "The vehicle was destroyed."

Despite the damage to the car, those involved in the collision sustained no serious or life-threatening injuries.

Bridge lanes were reopened after 12:19 p.m., but one of the barriers on the deck was damaged. Preliminary estimates put the damages at $30,000.

Kravjanski said the incident is still under investigation and it's too early to determine if charges will be filed.