Peace Arch border crossing reopens after fatal fiery crash

The Peace Arch border crossing has fully re-opened after adriver was killed in a fiery crash on the Canadian sidenear Vancouveron Thursday morning.

Surrey RCMP originally said three vehicles were involved in the collisionaround 11:30 a.m, but later said only two vehicles were involved.

The driver of a Toyota Sienna van was pronounced dead at the scene, after a Porsche Cayenne SUVcrashed into his vehicle and caused it to burst into flames, according to RCMP. No one else was in the van at the time of the crash.

The driver of the Porsche was taken to hospital. He is expected to survive his injuries.

'Abig smack'

It was Mitchell Gerhardt's first day on the job doing maintenance in the park at the border, and he was tending to a flower bed when he saw the crash happen.

"It was just like a big smack. [The Porsche] jumped the curb and the van went sideways and then the Porsche kept on pushing it," he told CBC.

Gerhardtsaid he had to jump out of the way because the vehicles were headed straight for him.

Dan Mangan, a Vancouver-based musician, was in the border lineup heading south when he saw cars veer off the road.

"A black SUV went full speed into a blue minivan... they hit this kind of stonewall garden area at which point the blue minivanburst into flames immediately," Mangan said in a phone call. "It was just a fireball.

"A bunch of quick responding heroes, man, just ran up to the black SUV ... they pulled [the driver]out," hecontinued. "He came to pretty quick. He was obviously a mess."

Video from the border shows smoke from the fire

Video shows smoke from car fire at Peace Arch border crossing

5 years ago

Duration 0:31

At least one vehicle burst into flames on the Canadian side of the Peace Arch border crossing after a three-vehicle crash on May 2, 2019.

Video posted on social media shows at least one vehicle on fire in aflower bed off the road, with thick black smoke going into the sky. The fire has since been extinguished.

The Peace Arch border crossingconnects Surrey, B.C. to Blaine, Wash.