Check your blind spots! Crash results in $100K damage to sports car

Upper Fraser Valley, BC Highway Patrol

2022-08-09 13:24 PDT

On August 6, 2022 BC Highway Patrol Chilliwack responded to a two-vehicle collision near Othello Road on the Coquihalla Highway.

Upon arrival it was determined that a northbound McLaren sports car valued at approximately $600,000 was overtaking a transport truck after leaving one of several construction zones in the area. A transport truck traveling in the right lane attempted a lane change to overtake a slower moving transport truck ahead of it and collided with the right side of the passing McLaren causing an estimated $100,000 in damage. Fortunately, there were no injuries as a result.

McLaren sports care with damage to right side

The investigation revealed that the driver of the transport truck failed to see the sports car in his mirrors before making the lane change and was subsequently ticketed for failing to yield to (a) passing vehicle. The ticket carries a fine of $109 and 3 points.

The mirrors on commercial vehicles are meant to alert drivers to vehicles traveling on either side of the truck-trailer combination, but there are blind spots that can catch drivers by surprise in some circumstances, states Cst. Dave Vanderput of BCHP Chilliwack. The same can be said for mirrors on passenger vehicles and, while there are ways to set one’s mirrors to reduce blind spots, it is best to be alert and visually check blind spots before making turns or lane changes. There is no substitute for the visual blind spot check, and reliance on blind spot detection on many newer vehicles should be avoided.

BC Highway Patrol works closely with its road safety partners including ICBC, RoadSafetyBC and you, the motoring public, to make our highways safer together.

BC Highway Patrol

Released by

Cpl. Mike Halskov

Media Relations Officer
BC Highway Patrol
14200 Green Timbers Way, Surrey, BC V3T 6P3 - Mailstop # 804
Office: 778-290-2377
Fax: 778-290-6071

Email: E_BCHP_Media@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
Website: bchp.rcmp.ca

Follow Us:

Date modified: