Found body on Highway 1 leads to closure and traffic delays in Metro Vancouver

New details have emerged about the serious incident that closed a major section of Highway 1 through Burnaby on Tuesday morning, with police requesting the public’s help in its investigation.

DriveBC first posted about the incident on social media just before 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 6.

At the time, DriveBC reported that just the eastbound HOV lane on Highway 1 at Kensington Avenue was getting through, with emergency vehicles on the scene.

However, police have since completely closed Highway 1 eastbound at the Kensington exit due to a body found on the roadway earlier this morning.

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“At 5:54 a.m., Burnaby RCMP received a call about an adult male’s body that was lying in the eastbound lanes of Highway #1 just east of Kensington,” said BC Highway Patrol in a release. “The male was obviously deceased and had injuries consistent with being hit by a vehicle.”

The eastbound lanes were completely shut down to make sure that all important evidence was preserved. BC Highway Patrol has now taken over the investigation because the victim may have been killed by a vehicle that left the scene.”

Photos shared by DriveBC show huge delays on Highway 1 westbound.

Google Maps is also showing delays on sections of alternate routes like Lougheed Highway and Canada Way.

Police have announced that they are looking for dash camera video from anyone driving near Kensington in the minutes before the body was found.

“Even if your video does not show the collision, police would like to review it to see if there is important information hidden somewhere in the background,” said BC Highway Patrol.

Anyone with dash camera video or who saw anything unusual is urged to call BC Highway Patrol – Burnaby at 604-526-9744 and quote file 1003 2026-3360.

“We are investigating all possibilities and have not ruled anything out at this point,” says Sgt. Michael McLaughlin with BC Highway Patrol in a statement.

“It’s crucial that we speak to anyone who saw anything unusual on Highway #1 near Kensington between 5:30 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. this morning.”

The Tuesday morning incident comes less than two weeks after a fatal two-car collision that closed a similar section of Highway 1 through Burnaby for several hours in late September.

According to authorities, Burnaby RCMP received a report just before 12:15 a.m. on Sept. 23 of a pickup truck driving eastbound in the westbound lanes of Highway 1.

The truck had collided with another vehicle, a four-door sedan, that was heading westbound.

“Burnaby RCMP, Emergency Health Services, and Burnaby Fire Department attended the scene,” explained Cpl. Brett Urano, media relations officer for RCMP E Division, in a release.

“Tragically, two passengers in the sedan were pronounced deceased at the scene.”

The driver of the sedan was brought to hospital with serious injuries, though they are not believed to be life-threatening.

The driver of the pickup truck was arrested at the scene and transported to the Burnaby RCMP detachment for further investigation.