Dashcam footage appears to show driver using semi ‘as a weapon’ on motorcyclists on Hwy 1 in Chilliwack

Police are investigating an incident captured on a dashcam showing a commercial truck driver veering on and off the shoulder on Highway 1 through Chilliwack, apparently trying to stop motorcyclists from overtaking.

Mark Swan, who captured the footage, tells 1130 NewsRadio he’s a long time truck driver himself, which was why he was shocked to see what he calls dangerous and reckless behaviour weeks after a fatal crash on the same stretch of highway that killed a mother and child.

He says the driver was veering on and off the highway shoulder, separating some of the bikers from the rest of their group, and attempting “to use his full size semi truck and trailer as a weapon.”

“It kicks up everything, the sand, salt, debris, nails metal, anything that comes off of vehicles gets spit into the face of the drivers on motorcycles. And so when they tried to come back onto the highway to get around him, he would swerve his trailer back and forth prevent them from getting around. Basically whipping the trailer,” said Swan.

He says he reported what he saw to the Chilliwack RCMP and the truck driver’s employer immediately.

The truck was operated by Triple Eight Transport, who tell 1130 NewsRadio they’re investigating the incident. If necessary, Triple Eight says the driver could face disciplinary measures up to and including termination.

Swan says he’s frustrated by how often he sees dangerous driving, and how powerless most people are to report it.

“Reporting an incident like this to 911: by the time the call-taker takes the call, gets the information out to an available [police] car, these people become ghosts. They’re gone. It never gets reported. Or it gets reported, but there’s no accountability, because you can’t find everybody that’s involved,” said Swan.

“The real point that I want to drive home is we’re seeing too much of this. There’s not enough pathways for the public to report it.”

According to DriveSmartBC, drivers, including motorcyclists, should not drive on highway shoulders.

“Passing on the right off of the roadway and driving on the shoulder to allow others to pass are common violations of this rule.”

The BC Highway Patrol confirmed to 1130 NewsRadio that they are investigating the footage.

Highway Patrol have said they’re concerned with the number of fatalities on B.C. highways this summer. The BC Coroners service said in July that they were investigating nearly 20 deaths connected to highway collisions in the space of under a week.

—With files from Raynaldo Suarez.