A local man feels lucky to be alive after a recent car crash left him with a broken sternum and a totalled vehicle, but he believes something needs to be done to make a South Surrey intersection safer.
Gary Reitmayer said he and the other driver were hospitalized after a collision that occurred when he was travelling along King George Boulevard shortly after 3 p.m. on March 25. It happened when the other driver, who was headed west on Highway 99 and took the King George Boulevard exit, stopped at the intersection and wanted to turn left to head south on King George Boulevard.
“With the sun in his eyes and not able to see me, he pulled out and stopped directly in front of me in the northbound lane. I had no chance to stop, and hit the car directly in the driver’s door,” Reitmayer said.
He remember the other driver had his hand up – at first, he thought, to try and stop him, but, as he would’ve been looking south, “I think the sun was in his eyes and he couldn’t see.”
The other driver has since taken responsibility for the collision, Reitmayer said, but he feels more should be done to make that area safer for drivers.
“I feel that, perhaps until we are impacted, we don’t fully understand how this affects peoples lives,” he said.
“I am proposing the immediate closure of that intersection and directing cars onto 40 Avenue East,” he continued, noting he submitted a work request to the City of Surrey to install a traffic circle at 40 Avenue, and/or a light with a U-turn to allow traffic exiting Highway 99 a safe way to go south, and the people turning left on 40th, a safe exit.
“I was on my way to pick up a visually impaired friend and bring him to my home for dinner. I was not speeding. I had plenty of time,” Reitmayer said.
“We have lost our car, and my ability to do things.”
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He is still recovering from his broken sternum and is still extremely limited in what he is able to do physically, but was grateful to all the people who stopped to help, as well as the doctors, nurses and support staff at Peace Arch Hospital, Reitmayer said.
“I can’t really do a whole bunch… I’m usually fairly active,” said the avid volunteer, who donates his time to the Elks, Sources and the City of Surrey, among other organizations.
“But I consider myself very lucky (to be alive).”
An Insurance Corporation of B.C. crash map, which identifies the number of collisions that have happened at Lower Mainland Intersections between 2017-2021, shows that there have been 63 crashes at the intersection of 40 Avenue and King George Boulevard in that time (the map site notes that crash data from 2020 and 2021 may be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic).
Just seconds away, the intersection of Highway 99 and King George Boulevard shows 89 car crashes in the same time and right beside that, the intersection of Highway 99 and King George Boulevard on-ramp and South Surrey Park and Ride and emergency/turning lanes shows 167 car crashes from 2017 to 2021.
ICBC data from 2022 is not yet available, according to a spokesperson.
Reitmayer said he reached out to the City of Surrey about making changes to the 40 Avenue and King George Boulevard intersection to help make the area safer, but received an email response that indicated it is not a City issue.
“Within the City of Surrey, some roadways are owned and operated by the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI). Freeways like Highway 1 and Highway 99 (including on-ramps and off-ramps), as well as major arterial routes: Highway 10, Highway 15, Highway 17, Golden Ears Connector and the segment of 8th Avenue between Highway 99 and Highway 15, are the jurisdiction of the MOTI. Requests to review or modify traffic control on these routes are addressed by Ministry staff,” the email reads, followed by a general enquiries phone number for the ministry, and a link to a general MOTI email.
MOTI staff told the Peace Arch News via email that, over the coming weeks, “ministry staff and traffic engineers will be discussing the current configuration of the 40th Avenue-King George intersection to better understand what safety improvements are possible, given its proximity to other major intersections.”
“The safety of people on our roads is our number one priority,” said MOTI communications director Dave Crebo.
When considering any improvements, the ministry will have traffic engineers review collision information and work with stakeholders such as local government, RCMP and industry to identify locations where there are concerns, he explained.
“Details are carefully analyzed with a view to potential improvements, benefits, and costs to ensure the right investment in the right location.”
Reitmayer said that the RCMP officer who attended the accident called the intersection “a disaster” and questioned what it would take to make a change.
“He said, ‘I don’t know what it’ll take – does somebody have to die?’” Reitmayer said.
Reitmayer knows he’s not a specialist on road safety and understands that a traffic circle might not be the best solution, but he is encouraged by the fact the issue is on the MOTI’s radar.
“I’m not saying that’s the absolute answer… but I do feel something needs to be done.”
@Canucklehedd
tricia.weel@peacearchnews.com
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