“Don’t take the road near the intersection of Williams Road and Shell Road. Take another route.”
This is the message a Richmond resident is sharing with other motorists, after finding out he was not the only vehicle accident victim at a particular intersection.
Various videos of crashes at the intersection have been posted on social media, including Andre Yim's accident.
Yim was on his way to grab a coffee on Aug. 3 when he passed through the intersection of Williams and Shell roads. He remembers seeing the headlights of another vehicle coming at him from the right before he was facing the ground.
“I didn’t have time to react, to be honest,” said Yim, adding that he saw the headlights, heard a bang and then saw the ground from his driver-side window.
“I kind of remember trying to hold myself up with my elbow to make sure I didn’t fall out … or have any part of my body outside the car. I think I may have blacked out and woke up upside-down too.”
He sustained a concussion from the accident and while he attempted to go back to work, he had a relapse and was forced to take work off again.
However, Yim’s accident was not the first for this intersection.
A nearby Richmond couple have been collecting and posting videos of ongoing accidents at Williams and Shell Road over the last few months on Instagram.
These videos show separate vehicle accidents and crashes with cars running through the stop sign. In one particular video, a jogger is seen being hit while crossing the intersection.
According to Clay Adams, spokesperson for the City of Richmond, data from the RCMP suggests that there have been 10 collisions at this intersection over the past 21 months. None of which resulted in a fatality or major injuries.
“The videos shared on social media are certainly disturbing and we strongly remind drivers to be aware and responsive to their surroundings and responsibilities,” said Adams.
“No amount of signs, lights or even enforcement can make up for distracted or poor driving habits.”
Adams told the Richmond News that the city has “already commenced work installing traffic signals” at the intersection and expects them to be in place by early next year.
The city’s timeline to put the signals in was slowed because it required coordination with CN Rail which has a crossing at that location.
“We have been unable to commence work without CN Rail’s involvement as our signals need to be timed and coordinated with trains to ensure safe, efficient use of the crossing.”
While there is currently no CCTV camera at Williams and Shell roads, the city said one will be installed once signal lights are in place.
Yim, however, said the CN Rail delays should not be an excuse.
“I understand the whole issue with the CN Rail and the environmental protection area, but (the city) should’ve done something to at least illuminate the stop sign,” said Yim.
“We know this intersection has so many issues…You can’t just say we just started doing construction because of these delays, while there have been many people who have been affected by (accidents) at this intersection.”
Furthermore, Yim suggested that ICBC should have stricter consequences for drivers who commit offences, rather than “just giving them a simple ticket.” It should also provide some kind of support system for victims.
“It feels like a lonely battle right now because I feel like there’s no real support from ICBC nor the city in these types of situations.
“And for people who are thinking about taking the Williams Road and Shell Road intersection, just take the long route around. Avoid this intersection as much as possible.”
