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'Scary incident': Police officer seriously injured after rockslide on Cypress Mountain

A civilian vehicle and police cruiser were struck by large boulders.
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A police officer was seriously injured after large boulders fell from Cypress Mountain and struck a cruiser and civilian vehicle on Nov. 11 2022.

A West Vancouver Police officer has been seriously injured after what the department is calling a 'scary incident.'

On Friday night at about 5:30 p.m. a large rockslide fell onto Cypress Bowl Road striking both a police vehicle and a civilian car. 

Sgt. Mark McLean says "this was a scary incident for those involved."

DriveBC stated in a tweet that there were reports of rocks on the road, by the public works yard and that the road was closed in both directions.

The rockfall happened at a sharp bend on Cypress Bowl Road three kilometres up from the Cypress Lookout. Video posted online shows substantial debris and large rocks on the road.

The driver and occupants of the civilian vehicle were uninjured and did not require medical treatment. 

Police say the large boulders destroyed the police cruiser. 

“While our officer was unlucky to have been caught up in a rockslide, we are grateful and fortunate that their injuries weren’t more severe," says McLean.

The police officer driving the vehicle sustained serious lacerations to their head and was transported to the hospital by BC Emergency Health Services.

McLean says the officer is expected to make a full recovery.

A Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure spokesperson tells Glacier Media that geotechnical engineers have assessed the site and have determined it is safe.  

Miller Capilano Highway Services was cleaning up the rockslide and said the road was cleared just before midnight. 

 

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