Details are emerging of a collision in Halfmoon Bay Sunday afternoon that sent three people to hospital and closed Highway 101 for over six hours.
Shortly before 3:45 p.m., a northbound vehicle turning onto Redrooffs Road struck two motorcyclists travelling in the opposite direction, preliminary police investigations indicate.
The crash occurred at the south entrance to Redrooffs Road.
All three drivers were taken to shíshálh | Sechelt Hospital and two people were airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital. Of the two patients air lifted under the care of critical care paramedics, one was in critical condition and one was in serious condition, said BC Emergency Health Services spokesperson Bowen Osoko. The third person was transported to hospital in stable condition.
The Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Services (ICARS), BC Emergency Health Services, and Sunshine Coast fire departments responded, including four ambulances with primary care paramedics.
After ICARS's investigation, the highway reopened to single-lane alternating traffic at about 9:56 p.m., with the highway's full reopening coming at 11 p.m.
RCMP are asking for witnesses or people with dashcam footage to reach out to them at 604-885-2266
"The Sunshine Coast RCMP would like to thank the public for their assistance, as well as the community for their patience and understanding while emergency crews and investigators worked at the scene," said the RCMP press release mid-day Monday.
BC Ferries runs extra sailing
To handle traffic flowing following the road closure, BC Ferries ran an extra sailing early Monday morning, which was scheduled to depart Langdale shortly before 1 a.m., much to the relief of some passengers who had expected to spend the night in their vehicles.
Many people who had been counting on returning to the Lower Mainland on Sunday before they were stuck behind the road closure, arrived to Langdale after the last scheduled ferry sailing of the day, so were not initially admitted onto the terminal.
“There were lots and lots of us. We thought we would be let into the into the BC Ferries car park, to sit there overnight,” said one passenger. But vehicles lined up the bypass, with people milling around, families, seniors, and other travellers planning to spend the night in their cars, some were pulling out sleeping bags.
There are no toilet facilities up the hill, but a BC Ferries staff member did let some people in to go to the washroom, said this passenger.
BC Ferries issued the notice at 12:20 a.m. that they would be running an extra sailing to accommodate those arriving from the other side of the crash.
“We thought we would be spending the night, there on a slope with everybody, with kids and grandparents and older people, and then suddenly we were going home. It was great," said the passenger.
Community steps up
BC Ferries was in good company, stepping up to help travellers stranded on the Coast’s arterial route.
One couple in their 80s who were ensnared in the traffic at about 4 p.m., reached out to Coast Reporter to describe a young couple who expended their available supplies –– pop, cookies and water –– to support people stuck in the lineup. “They just walked up and down as far as their supply would handle it.” The couple wouldn't take payment. The older couple reached their home shortly before 11 p.m. “It was one of those really wonderful, wonderful stories when you're sitting in a tragic situation."
Stories gathered on Duane Burnett’s Sunshine Coast BC Canada Facebook page also describe locals leading and directing people through the logging roads behind Trout Lake to circumvent the closure, a feat not every vehicle was up to, but many were, if they made it onto the right roads.
Other people describe neighbours to the crash bringing out cold drinks, people distributing watermelon, people offering rides and people offering bathrooms and cool off spots. The fire departments reportedly were also checking in with those in traffic, helping people as they could during the hot day.
Temperatures recorded at the Sechelt Airport hit 29.4C Sunday.
