Car flips on street in Coquitlam, B.C., prompting questions over nearby construction

Video captures a car flipping onto its roof during a crash on a quiet residential street in Coquitlam.

A dramatic crash on a residential street in Coquitlam, B.C., is raising concerns about the safety of a nearby construction zone.

The incident happened just before 10:30 p.m. Monday on Mundy Street. Video obtained by CTV News shows a vehicle appearing to hit an object, going airborne, and landing on its roof. The driver was taken to hospital and is in stable condition, according to first responders.

On Tuesday, objects similar to what was seen in the video remained on the side of the road — just steps from where the crash happened.

“When I came outside, it was lying in the middle of the road,” said neighbour Alice Gu.

Residents say a repaving project on the street began this week and that safety measures in the construction zone may have been insufficient, particularly at night.

“It didn’t seem like there’s lots of cones or signage at night,” said Joel Orum, who lives nearby. “During the day, they had flaggers on every street – it was pretty good. But at night, there wasn’t much out there.”

“I definitely think there should be more signage,” added Gu. “Personally, from just driving in the neighbourhood, I didn’t see much.”

The City of Coquitlam says speed limits are typically lowered in construction zones, and it’s the construction company’s responsibility to post temporary signage. The current posted limit for Mundy Street is 50 km/h, and CTV News nor the City of Coquitlam could point to any temporary speed limit signage in the area.

The City of Coquitlam told CTV News typically 50 km/h speed zones are reduced to 30 km/h in construction zones when temporary conditions are deemed unsafe at the existing speed limit.

A city spokesperson confirmed a review is now underway.

“We are aware of the situation and we’re very concerned about this,” said Douglas McLeod, director of transportation for the City of Coquitlam. “Our typical requirements are that there’s supposed to be adequate pavement markings and signage in advance of any construction zone when it is active.”

RCMP say impairment is not believed to be a factor in the crash.

Construction work continued Tuesday. CTV News reached out to Jack Cewe Construction, the company in charge of the project, but did not receive a response before publication.

Residents with road safety concerns can reach out to the City of Coquitlam’s 24/7 Engineering and Public Works customer service line at 604-927-3500 for [e-mail].