A West Vancouver woman is in critical condition following a horrific crash on the Upper Levels highway Monday afternoon.
Exactly what happened in the single-vehicle crash is still under investigation but police arrived on the scene just west of the 21st Street exit to find a vehicle on its roof in the westbound lane and its sole occupant thrown across the highway.
“Road evidence shows the vehicle went straight off the road and into a lamppost and ditch before the flip,” said. Const. Jeff Wood, West Vancouver police spokesman. “The driver appears to have been ejected from the right passenger window, which was smashed.
The woman landed on the shoulder of the eastbound lanes. It appears she was not wearing a seatbelt, Wood said.
The victim, who police say is in her mid-40s and recently moved to West Vancouver, was taken to Lions Gate Hospital and later transported to Vancouver General Hospital for critical care. The 2005 Lexus was a write off.
The investigation into the crash has been turned over to the Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service.
The crash and ensuing investigation led police to close the highway between Cypress Bowl Road and 21st Street for several hours, only allowing traffic through detours and reduced lanes.
“Because the area of evidence encompassed the highway in both directions, that’s what caused the delay in lane openings and traffic snarl at that location,” said Sgt. Paul Skelton.
“It’s early in the investigation. I believe there were some witnesses that police have spoken to at the scene but certainly, anyone who may have witnessed it and has not spoken to the police, we’d certainly encourage them to contact West Vancouver police. That would be of assistance to us as we try to piece together why this tragic accident occurred.”
West Vancouver Police Department can be reached at 604-925-7300.
