NEWS photos Terry Peters A truck awaits assistance (top) after losing two wheels on the Upper Levels Highway last Friday. At right, vehicle inspec- tor Jay Northcott assesses one of the rurtaway wheels. Grandma’s GMC hit by runaway wheel Robert Galster News Reporter vobert@usnews.com FOR Beverly Nevills, last Friday was a day filled with luck. Bad luck followed by a healthy dose of good luck. The North Vancouver resident’s misfortune first struck when a detached, out-of-control tire rolling westward on ihe Upper Levels Highway, took the Westview exit and collided into Nevills’ GMC Jimmy. “We were just driving on the Westview overpass,” said Nevills. “1 rk. E didn’t know whar hap- dd.” Nevills thought she had) gone over arutin the road and as she wi thinking that municipal ws should fix one as bad as that her grandson interrupted her train of thought. “My grandson said, ‘no grandma ou were just hit by a tir “A tire?” Good Juck started to figure in her day when Nevills reali ned what had happened, but more so, what could have happened. “In the morning | wanted to take my (Ford Mustang) conve bur [felt funny abour it glad f didn’t take it now because when [ think of what could have happened it makes me sick.” The wayward wheel was one of two that had come off a truck haul- ing woodchips along the highway Provincial motor vehicle inspec- tor Jay Northeort attended the scene and said the truck’s wheels had been tightened incorrect] Northcott speculated the wheel, ich weighs about 140 Ibs. (64 kg) and was travelling at about 80 km-h, could have done a for more damage. The tuck’s owner, Charles Oatt, s given an S86 ticket for Operat- ing a defective vehiel . Robert Galster Lunas cn ll. mensnen! Spot check brings friction News Reporter robert@nsnews.com PUBLIC safety and private enterprise clashed under the Lions Gate Bridge !ast Wednesday morning. At about 9 a.m., West Vancouver Police accompa- nied by a team of motor vehicle inspectors set up a truck testing station near the entrance to Capiline ad Topsoil, a gravel manutacturing works didn’t go down too well with the owner, yeame right into my driveway and checked all the trucks coming to my yard,” said an ated Shane ‘ er off my property.” The temporary truck testing station didn’t close though. “Tt took me an hour to convince them to move,” said Starnes. “To block my driveway and impede mv business is uncalled for.” Starnes added he was paying S60 per hour for the sto haul his marerials. time the random cheeks took to complete added an unnecessary expense to his botrom line, he argued. “Tr cost me a fortune,” he said. Bur West Vancouver Police spokesman Sgt. Jim Alm id Starnes has no ground to stand on. “The bottom line is he’s running a business, bur he’s putting those vehicles through our community,” said Almas. “With all the that all the tre checked.” As it turned our, 12 trucks we Eleven were found to be detective. Two of the trucks were towed while four others were ordered to undergo mechanical repairs betore moving from the site. alities we've had, we have to ensure that go on the highways need to be NEWS photo Mike Wakefield CAPILANO Aggregates and Topsoil’s Shane Starnes stands by as trucks entering his facility are pulled over for random truck safety checks. “Pin ser he (Starnes doesn’t have an issue.” agreed motor vehicle inypector Jay Northeott. “He should have wenil obligation to niuake sare the trucks arg sate.” rtheort said the results speak tor themsch es. hose vehicles could potentially be satety hazards on the road.” said Northeou. “Would he (Starnes i preter 20 minutes to halt an hour (tor a safety inspec Hons or an accident?” Abnas said the random cheeks will Continue on an ad hoe basis. “Should we be waiting unui their brakes ful or do we vet them (trucks) where they are? What vou want todo ts take a proactive approach.” said Almas. Do vou fer them drive through the community with all the defects?” trucks Catherine Barr Contributing Writer A West Vancouver bylaw limiting the movement of heavy trucks through the municipality rolls into place April 1. Heavy trucks (any cruck, trailer or truck-tractor combina- tion with a gross vehicle weight in excess of 1,200 ky) craveling in West Vancouver will be limit: ed te uphill travel only on most of the area's steeper roads. This includes the aceident-prone J3th, 21st and 22nd street hilh. Southbound travel tions will be in place tor s of Pith Street through to 3)st Street as well as numerous other routes, The routes have been chosen so thar heavy vehicles will nor be allowed the option of leaving th Upper Levels Highway toe travel downhill on West Van municipal streets. Said Mayor Par Boname, This action has been taken in response [oO recent: runaway truck accidents thar — have occurred in the District of West Vancouver. Heavy trucks travelling to an area, below: the pper st S i w of Taylor v will have to come in to the area Via Marine Drive at Pa exception is the Caulteild Interchange (Headland Drive). Heavy vehicles will be allowed to access the Caulteild | shopping centre from the Upper Levels Highway. Special exemption can t granted by the municip. warranted. In West Vancouver, over the past five vears, there have been at least. four known incidents of trucks losing their brakes on steep residential streets, All have caused injury and property dan- age. One accident resulted in the death of a pedestrian. The most recent mishap occurred in’ December at the intersection of 21st Street and Inglewood, Two van drivers suf fered injuries and vehighe dam- age when a heavy gravel truck Jost its bry Coun, Allan Williams pre- sented the bylaw to council: last week. Williams said he hopes the move will help to solve same of the truck trafic trouble. “This will give us the author itv to stop them (trucks) on the strects and examine them using and some of the mechanical people as well,” he said. TP problems arise from the new byhliw, council appears will ing to adjust. “Fhese routes can be changed.” said Coun. Russ Fraser. Meanwhile Boname said that she has written to the minister of Transportation and Highways requesting the installation of signs on the Upper Levels Highway advising truck drivers of the prohibitions.