Speeding is being investigated as a probable cause of a fatal motorcycle accident over the weekend that left a 22-year-old Surrey man dead.
Emergency crews were called to the accident on Highway 99, just north of Horseshoe Bay, shortly before 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
Witnesses said the motorcycle rider lost control and collided with a roadside barricade, then was thrown off his motorcycle several metres into a roadside embankment.
The rider was pronounced dead at the scene.
Const. Jeff Palmer, spokesman for the West Vancouver Police Department, said speed is believed to be the likely cause of the accident.
Witnesses who saw the motorcycle before the crash estimated it was going between 30 and 40 kilometres an hour over the posted speed of 90 km/h.
“There were a couple of other motorcycle riders who had seen him pass,” said Palmer.
Palmer said the rider was wearing a helmet-mounted camera when the crash happened and police have recovered the footage.
Investigators plan to analyze the video more closely to determine more precisely how fast the motorcycle was going.
Palmer noted the good weather means it’s prime motorcycle riding season on the roads.
“There’s a strong temptation to crank a little harder on the throttle,” he said — sometimes with tragic results.
Family of the Surrey man killed has been notified. West Vancouver Police are not releasing his name.
Palmer noted speeding remains a leading cause of crashes that result in injury and death in British Columbia. Motorcyclists are at extra risk, being far more physically vulnerable in a crash than drivers or passengers in a car.
“Anytime you’re on a motorcycle, you’re very vulnerable,” said Palmer.
