A man who caused a three-car crash in Aldergrove last year lost an appeal against ICBC after a ruling that a supposed hit and run driver never existed.
The challenge to an ICBC ruling was heard by a B.C. Civil Resolution Tribunal, with the driver claiming his $300 deductible from the insurer, which had found him fully responsible for the July 20, 2022 crash.
The crash took place near 264th Street on Highway One in Aldergrove.
The driver at fault was heading east when he crashed into the back of a Toyota Corolla, which was driven forward and hit a Mitsubishi Lancer.
The driver’s version of events was that a grey car came up behind him, rear-ended him, caused the collision with the Corolla, and then sped off into traffic.
However, the Civil Resolution Tribunal heard from multiple witnesses who said there was no hit and run.
A witness identified as T, who was not involved in the crash, said that traffic slowed down, and the driver at fault didn’t. He was seemingly “lost in [his vehicle’s] music,” and he ran into the Corolla at about 50 km/h.
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The drivers of the Corolla and the Lancer, which was not damaged, didn’t see anyone else either.
The at-fault driver submitted evidence that he claimed showed damage to his car’s rear bumper, but Resolution Tribunal panel member David Jiang didn’t find it convincing.
Among other issues, there was no way of knowing whether the damage to the rear bumper had happened before the Aldergrove crash, and it wasn’t nearly as severe as the damage to the front of the at-fault driver’s car.
Jiang dismissed the at-fault driver’s claim.
The crash took place at the highest-frequency crash location in B.C., according to ICBC statistics.
There were 240 crashes in and around the 264th Street interchange last year. That is a rate of just under two crashes every three days.
A highway-widening and interchange upgrade project, scheduled to complete in 2025, is expected to replace and upgrade that section of road.