A head-on collision during the morning rush hour Tuesday sent three people to hospital and closed the Lions Gate Bridge for about one and a half hours as emergency crews worked to free one of the drivers.
Police were called to the mid-span of the bridge around 8:05 a.m. after a northbound '92 Acura Integra crossed over into a southbound lane and hit a '11 Acura MDX.
West Vancouver Fire and Rescue crews had to use the Jaws of Life to cut the driver out of the northbound vehicle. The 28-year-old North Vancouver man was rushed to hospital suffering fractures and other injuries and was listd as in critical but stable condition Tuesday afternoon.
Two people in the southbound vehicle - a 35-year-old North Vancouver woman, who was driving, and her 35- year-old husband - did not appear to be injured, but were taken to hospital for observation, said Jeff Palmer, spokesman for the West Vancouver Police Department.
Both vehicles were extensively damaged in the crash.
During the bridge closure, buses were rerouted to take passengers to the SeaBus. The bridge reopened to traffic around 9:40 a.m. Palmer said the cause of the collision remains under investigation. He said possible causes include driver distraction or inattention. He added there's no indication road conditions or lane signals were factors.
Investigators spoke to a number of witnesses but encourage anyone who saw the accident to call WVPD. at 604-925-7300.
