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UPDATE: Family trapped as fallen wires shut down Lougheed Highway through Maple Ridge

VIDEO: Traffic is being diverted north to Dewdney Trunk Road Monday afternoon, with Hwy. 7 closed

No one was injured, but a family of three was trapped inside their courtesy car on the Lougheed Highway in east Maple Ridge Monday afternoon after a windstorm brought down high tension wires on the top of their car.

They had to remain in the vehicle until BC Hydro could cut power and release the wires, witnesses reported.

Lougheed Highway from 240th to 272nd Streets, will likely be shut down until possibly midnight, emergency crews reported a few hours into the call.

High winds have knocked down trees and wires in the Whonnock area of Maple Ridge, in multiple location along the Highway 7 corridor.

The intial call came in a little before 12:30 this afternoon, with sevearl trees having fallen – knocked over at least six hydro poles and damaging several others.

Emergency responders are currently attempting to block off the major thoroughfare and redirect traffic north to Dewdney Trunk Road and other alternate routes north of Lougheed.

Hydro outage updates indicate there are about 600 customer east of 240th Street in Albion east through to Ruskin, in the vicinity of the highway.

While wires are reportedly down along the highway, Maple Ridge also has reports of power out to about 300 more customers west of 232nd Street, north of 124th Avenue, as well as in the 11400-block of 236th Street.

RELATED: Strong winds, gusts expected to hit central and southern B.C. on Labour Day

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A motorist and his family were trapped inside a vehicle hit by falling wires along Lougheed Highway Monday afternoon. The highway is expected to be shut down for at least another eight hours as BC Hydro repairs damaged and downed poles and wires along the section of Lougheed Highway between 240th and 272nd Street. (Shane MacKichan/Special to The News)
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A motorist and his family were trapped inside a vehicle hit by falling wires along Lougheed Highway Monday afternoon. The highway is expected to be shut down for at least another eight hours as BC Hydro repairs damaged and downed poles and wires along the section of Lougheed Highway between 240th and 272nd Street. (Shane MacKichan/Special to The News)
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A motorist and his family were trapped inside a vehicle hit by falling wires along Lougheed Highway Monday afternoon. The highway is expected to be shut down for at least another eight hours as BC Hydro repairs damaged and downed poles and wires along the section of Lougheed Highway between 240th and 272nd Street. (Shane MacKichan/Special to The News)
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Roxanne Hooper

About the Author: Roxanne Hooper

I began in the news industry at age 15, but honestly, I knew I wanted to be a community journalist even before that.
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