Driver in head-on Lions Gate Bridge crash charged

Emergency crews survey the damage after a head-on collision shut down traffic on the Lions Gate Bridge Tuesday morning, Dec. 3, 2013. (CTV)

A 28-year-old North Vancouver man has been charged in a December crash on the Lions Gate Bridge that sent three people to hospital and snarled traffic for hours.

The driver of a northbound sedan crossed into an oncoming traffic lane and crashed head-on into a southbound SUV the morning of Dec. 3.

He was left with serious injuries including multiple fractures and lacerations, which he is still recovering from. The husband and wife in the SUV were not badly injured but were still taken to hospital for observation.

Traffic on the Lions Gate was shut down for hours at the height of the morning commute, causing headaches for the thousands of drivers who use the bridge daily.

The man is facing charges under the Motor Vehicle Act of driving without due care and attention and using an electronic device while driving, though the latter charge stems from allegations he was using his phone as he entered the Stanley Park causeway, police said.

The charges carry possible fines of $368 and $167, respectively.

Police said phone records indicate the driver wasn’t talking on his phone or texting at the time of the crash, so a distracted driving charge has not been laid.

Road conditions, speed, alcohol and drugs were not factors in the crash, investigators ruled.