Highway 1 in Burnaby closed after early morning crash sends five to hospital

Mounties in Burnaby say westbound lanes of Highway 1 near the city have been shut after a multi-vehicle crash.

They say just before 3 a.m., officers responded to reports of a five-car collision on the highway, just east of the Kensington Avenue off-ramp.

Police say five people were transported to hospital, three with minor injuries and two in serious condition, and the road was immediately closed.

They say it is expected to be shut down for the rest of the morning and potentially into the afternoon.

RCMP are advising commuters to take an alternate route and are asking people to work from home or delay the start of their work day if they're able.

They say the BC Highway Patrol has taken over the investigation, but impairment is not believed to be a contributing factor.