B.C. semi driver hits four cars, now faces drunk driving charges: police

PORT COQUITLAM, B.C. — Police are recommending criminal charges of impaired driving against the driver of a semi truck that hit four vehicles in a Metro Vancouver city.

A statement from BC Highway Patrol says police received a report of a semi driving erratically on Monday, but before they arrived, the truck had run into four vehicles parked along Industrial Avenue in Port Coquitlam, B.C.

Cpl. Michael McLaughlin says an alert citizen had called police.

The semi was towing a trailer, and McLaughlin says it’s “unbelievable that a professional driver” would consider operating a vehicle of that size while impaired, a factor that prompted the Mounties’ decision to recommend criminal charges.

A 42-year-old man from Surrey, B.C., faces charges of impaired operation of a vehicle and operating a vehicle with a blood alcohol level over the legal limit.

The man is set appear in court in March, while he has also lost his driver’s licence for 90 days and the truck was impounded for 24 hours.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 11, 2024.