Two motorcycle crashes brought traffic to a standstill on the Sea to Sky Highway for several hours on May 2.
Tuesday night at about 7:45 p.m., a motorcycle rider crashed just north of Lions Bay.
According to a Squamish RCMP news release, the driver sustained upper body injuries and was being treated by BC Ambulance paramedics when officers were called away to a second motorcycle crash at about 8:25 p.m.
The second crash was at Britannia Beach. Police say the driver was travelling southbound and lost control of his bike.
The critically injured rider was taken by ambulance to a Lower Mainland hospital. He has since stabilized, police say.
This crash required many first responders. Those called to the scene included members of the Integrated Collision Analysis and Reconstruction Service (ICARS) team — which investigates serious crashes — paramedics with BC Ambulance, firefighters with Britannia Beach Fire Rescue, and personnel from Miller Capilano.
The motorcycles involved in both crashes also had to be towed away.
All told, Highway 99 was closed for about six and a half hours Tuesday night "for the safety of the driver and responders as they processed the scene, including ICARS who conducted their investigation," reads the release.
"Once the investigation is complete, police can assess what factors contributed to this incident."
Many drivers were stuck through the night trying to make it to the city or home to Squamish, Whistler and beyond.
The highway re-opened at about 3:30 a.m., according to Drive BC.
It has been a frustrating week on the road for highway drivers in our region.
On Saturday morning, Highway 99 was fully closed for about five hours due to a crash that sent a motorcyclist to hospital with serious injuries.
May is Motorcycle Awareness Month, and Sea to Sky RCMP Squamish have responded to three motorcycle accidents within four days along Highway 99.
"It's hard for us to encourage car drivers to respect motorcyclists who don't maintain control of their bikes and, at times speeding laws. This being said, we remind car drivers to maintain situational awareness for their own safety so they don't become secondary victims," said Cpl. Angela Kermer of the Sea to Sky RCMP in the release.
Anyone with any information regarding these crashes is asked to contact the Squamish RCMP at 604-892-6100, Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS, or go to the website www.solvecrime.ca.
