Highway 1 in Langley, B.C., closed following semi-truck crash

Drivers heading into the Fraser Valley faced major delays during the morning commute after a crash shut down a portion of Highway 1.

Commuters heading into the Fraser Valley faced major delays during the morning commute Friday, after a crash shut down a portion of Highway 1.

A semi-truck struck a median near the 264th exit shortly after 5 a.m., snarling traffic for hours.

The tractor trailer suffered a crumpled front end and a severed rear axle, which had been projected hundreds of metres behind the vehicle as a result of the blow.

“It was just a single vehicle, which was a semi truck, that had collided with the center median and had basically blocked off the highway,” said Sgt. Zynal Sharoom of the Langley RCMP.

The driver of the truck managed to escape without injury, and is currently cooperating with police.

“We’re talking to the operator of the semi truck to see what [their] actions were at the time. We’re just trying to nail it down,” said Sharoom.

Despite the early morning chilly temperatures, Sharoom said the road conditions on Highway 1 were actually “ideal” for driving, and neither speed nor alcohol are believed to be factors, either.

The impact of the highway closure was felt immediately.

Drivers were slowed to a crawl and traffic was forced from three lanes down to just one. Eastbound vehicles were diverted off the 246th off-ramp and were detoured back on the other side of the debris field.

The bottleneck caused major delays for hours.

“I believe there is some diesel that has spilled out into the roadway, so we will not open up the roadway until it’s absolutely safe,” said Sharoom.

RCMP says a cleanup of that scale is not easy, requiring special resources and extra tow trucks.

DriveBC issued a notice just after 5:15 a.m. saying the incident caused the closure of both lanes. In an update shortly after 6:15 a.m., DriveBC said the crash led to a “significant diesel spill” on the major highway.

It is too early in the investigation to determine whether any charges will be recommended, said police.

The road will be closed for an extended period of time.