BC United MLA in hot water over TikTok blaming NDP for ‘traffic chaos’ after deadly motorcycle crash

A BC United MLA is taking a lot of heat online after posting a TikTok about a fatal crash just outside the Massey Tunnel earlier this week.

Teresa Wat, MLA for Richmond North Centre, posted a video to the social media app, apparently assigning blame to the NDP provincial government for the “traffic chaos” following a collision that killed a motorcyclist Wednesday morning.

Standing above the entrance to the tunnel, Wat says that if her party had been allowed to complete a planned expansion, the situation might not have played out the same way.

“The previous B.C. government started building the 10-lane George Massey Bridge when we were in government. Yet the NDP government has now cancelled this bridge project when they took power in 2017,” said Wat.

“The 10-lane bridge would have opened in 2022 — that would not create such a big traffic chaos, arising from this traffic accident.”

Comments under her video have not been kind to Wat, with many suggesting that her message is in “poor taste.”

“Really? You use someone’s tragedy to promote yourself? Shame,” said one reply.

“Unbelievably bad taste! She could have used any day in rush hour to send the same message. BC United is so out of touch,” said another.

The early morning fatal collision on Highway 99 killed a motorcyclist, the BC Highway Patrol (BCHP) confirmed Wednesday.

In a follow-up statement, the BCHP says the motorcyclist “ran into a car, and the motorcyclist fell onto the roadway.”

“The motorcyclist was critically injured by the rear wheels of a semi-truck and tragically has passed away,” Corp. Melissa Jongema said.

Police had closed most northbound lanes for multiple hours to investigate the collision, which happened around 6:15 a.m. By 2:45 p.m. Wednesday afternoon, callers to CityNews said the lanes had reopened.

Wat, apparently reporting before then, said the lanes were completely closed, but “under the BC United Government, we will fix it.”

In a statement to CityNews, BC United says it agrees that the NDP’s actions have “unfortunately left Metro Vancouver commuters in gridlock and unsafe driving conditions.”

“MLA Wat has been a strong advocate for local road safety and the need to replace the Massey Tunnel. BC United has consistently criticized the NDP’s decision to cancel the former government’s Massey Bridge project, which would have been open for more than a year now,” said the party.

“Our thoughts are with the motorcyclist who tragically lost their life this week and we sincerely hope for no further tragedies stemming from the current unsafe road conditions in and around the Massey Tunnel.”

—With files from Dean Recksiedler.