1 person dead in UBC parkade crash: RCMP
Posted January 18, 2024 7:18 am.
A crash at a multi-storey parkade at the University of British Columbia Wednesday left one person dead, Mounties confirm.
The University RCMP says the man died at the scene, after the car he was in crashed through a barrier on the second floor of the Thunderbird Parkade, with the vehicle falling to the ground below.
According to investigators, a large slab of concrete from the barrier was “hanging precariously above the now-vertical black sedan,” something fire crews also confirmed Wednesday.
“The vehicle appeared to contain a single occupant who had apparently suffered significant injuries,” the RCMP said in an update Thursday. “Efforts to extract the subject from the vehicle could not be immediately made due to the imminent danger created by the damaged structure.”
Vancouver Fire Rescue Services crews worked to free the person trapped inside the vehicle, but noted at the time there were “a significant amount of challenges and hazards to overcome” — including a structural component, as well as a “battery charging container that basically fed vehicle chargers throughout the building.”
Despite these challenges, firefighters said they were able to extract one person from the vehicle, and transferred them to the care of BC Emergency Health Services.
“Tragically, the man suffered fatal injuries and was pronounced deceased at the scene,” said Staff Sgt. Kris Clark of the BC RCMP. “Fortunately, no one else was injured and the scene was made safe for first responders by fire and rescue personnel.”
It’s still unclear what caused the crash. The RCMP says it’s still looking into the matter.
