Truck driver involved in North Van overpass crash fired, company says
Posted December 2, 2023 4:51 pm.
Last Updated December 2, 2023 6:01 pm.
More than two months since a truck driver slammed into the Main Street overpass in North Vancouver causing damage and heavy traffic delays, CityNews has learned he’s been fired.
The company involved, Whistler Courier & Freightways, confirmed the driver was let go shortly after the incident took place on Sept. 19th.
“His employment was terminated soon after the incident,” it said in a statement.
The company previously stated two employees had faced disciplinary action following the incident, but never elaborated beyond that.
On Thursday, CityNews reported on the uncertainty around which agency was actively trying to find the driver, who fled the scene following the crash.
When pressed, North Vancouver RCMP told CityNews it was not talking about the case.
“As previously stated, we are not in a position to speak further or provide more details than what has already been shared,” said Const. Mansoor Sahak.
Sahak did not say why Mounties are no longer talking about the case. The RCMP previously said it had closed the hit-and-run investigation and would consider re-opening it if new information about the driver surfaced.
At the time of the crash, police issued the company involved a violation ticket worth $368 for failing to remain at the scene of an accident.
The Ministry of Transportation’s Commercial Vehicle Safety Enforcement (CVSE) department was leading the case, but says it’s not responsible for finding the driver. It adds its focus was only ever on the carrier and its “responsibilities under the Motor Vehicle Act/Regulation.” It says any further questions about the driver fall to the RCMP.
Whistler Courier & Freightways says it’s “mystified” about “the lack of effort to locate the driver.”
In late October, Transportation Minister Rob Fleming said the government knew the driver’s identity, but said efforts to locate him were the responsibility of the RCMP.
Soon after the crash, the provincial government said the “carrier/driver” did not have a permit when the truck hit the overpass.
The company faced a temporary suspension that was lifted on Sept. 27 and was fined a total of $3,500.
