Coquitlam RCMP have confirmed the body pulled from the Pitt River last week is that of a 45-year-old man from Chilliwack who went missing two months ago after an accident.
Just before midnight on March 10, a Ford F150 truck smashed through a concrete barrier at McDonald and Ballam roads and sheared off a power pole before plunging into the Fraser River. The body of a 41-year-old woman was pulled out a short time later.
The RCMP Underwater Recovery Team was called to the accident scene to search for any additional victims who may have been in the vehicle and, once police were certain a second victim was involved in the crash, sonar equipment was used to try to locate him.
Coquitlam RCMP were called to the Pitt River near Argue Street in Port Coquitlam May 1 after somebody reported seeing a body in the river.
Police have confirmed it was the man who went missing after the Chilliwack crash but are not releasing his name out of respect for the family's privacy.
Cpl. Jamie Chung couldn't say exactly how far the man's body had travelled but noted it's not unusual for a body that hasn't been trapped by debris to float that far downstream.
"We were able to provide some closure to this family instead of them wondering where he has gone," Chung said.
Cpl. Len vanNieuwenhuizen of the Upper Fraser Valley Regional Detachment said the investigation into the crash is ongoing and the cause has not yet been determined.
spayne@tricitynews.com