A man in is 50s has died in what's being described as a hit-and-run in Abbotsford

ABBOTSFORD (NEWS 1130) – Abbotsford police say they have arrested a man in a fatal hit-and-run Thursday morning, after they found the vehicle they believed to have been involved.

A man in his 50s died at the scene of the crash on Highway 11 near Clayburn Road.

When they arrived just after 6 a.m., police found a man who was badly hurt. Despite efforts to help him, police say the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police have now found the registered owner of the suspect’s vehicle at his home not far from where it happened.

Const. Mike Willford with the Abbotsford Police Department says there isn’t anything to indicate drugs or alcohol were a factor at this time.

“It was just after six this morning, so it was dark, it had been raining, there was some fog in the area, so there’s a possibility that weather could have played a part, but we just don’t know that yet until we complete the investigation,” he says.

While he says its too early to know what charges could be laid, there is a possibility the driver could be charged for fleeing the scene of a crash, or for dangerous driving causing death.

“Those are the type of charges that we could consider in a case like this, but we would have to have obviously, evidence, to substantiate that,” he says.

He says the route is a common one for commuters, so he’s hoping someone will come forward with dashcam footage to help the find out exactly what happened.

“Anybody who was in the area that would have dashcam footage, or may have seen something and has yet to come forward and report it, we would obviously like to talk to them, and we would obviously like to get a hold of any dashcam footage from the area as well.

It’s unclear what led to the collision, but the police are reminding you to be aware of road conditions and to drive accordingly.

“As the day gets darker, and the morning commute is darker than it was a month ago, and even the evening commute is darker than it was a month ago, we want people to be mindful of their driving behaviour, slow down, drive in accordance with the road and weather conditions,” he says.

Pedestrians are also being reminded to be cautious, even at marked crosswalks, when it’s dark and visibility is poor.

“We would always encourage pedestrians to wear high-visible clothing, reflective material, not dark clothing – you become almost invisible on the side of the road, or even at a marked crosswalk at night when it’s dark and rainy.”

Highway 11 is closed to southbound traffic from Harris to Clayburn roads, and is expected to stay closed for several more hours.

-With files from Sonia Aslam