RCMP have yet to determine what caused a head-on collision Monday in Maple Ridge that killed one driver and seriously injured another.
The crash was the second fatal accident on Lougheed Highway in the span of 30 hours.
It happened at 3:45 p.m. in the 24200-block of Lougheed Highway, east of 240th Street.
Police believe a SUV, towing a “Wide Load” sign, crossed over the centre line from westbound lanes and slammed head-on into a pickup truck travelling east.
The driver of the pickup, a 53-year-old Maple Ridge man, was seriously injured and airlifted via helicopter to Royal Columbia Hospital in New Westminster.
Sgt. Dale Somerville said the man remains in hospital awaiting surgery due to a serious pelvic fracture.
His face was badly cut in the crash, but he’s expected to fully recover.
A 57-year-old man from Maple Ridge who was driving the SUV for Bob’s Pilot Service died on scene. His name is being withheld at the request of his family.
Neither vehicle had passengers.
Somerville confirmed that police have yet to pin-point what caused the head-on crash, which left debris strewn across Lougheed Hwy. and shut down the road for almost five hours.
Somerville said witness statements rule out speed and aggressive driving as contributing factors.
The B.C. Coroner’s Service is assisting police with their investigation.
“An autopsy may or may not determine a pre-existing medical condition as a factor,” said Somerville.
Police are waiting for the results of the autopsy.