3 days ago
Procession of over 700 Hells Angels bikers expected to snarl Surrey traffic as members gather for memorial
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Police say more than 700 Hells Angels bikers are expected to ride from Coquitlam to Surrey, B.C., on Thursday as members gather in the area for a founding member's celebration of life.
The Surrey Police Service is alerting the public that there will be a "significant outlaw motorcycle gang presence" around the city from Thursday to Sunday.
The gathering is to pay respect to Rick Ciarniello, one of the original Hells Angels in B.C., Surrey RCMP Staff Sgt. Lindsey Houghton told CBC News.
Ciarniello died at age 80 in New Westminster on March 13, according to an obituary published in the Vancouver Sun.
Houghton said this week's event could be one of the largest gatherings of outlaw motorcycle gang members the province has ever seen.
Police expect the procession to begin at 11:30 a.m. Thursday in Coquitlam and end at a banquet hall in the 12300 block of Patullo Place in Surrey.
Delays are anticipated in parts of Surrey between 11:30 a.m. and noon on Thursday for traffic headed northbound from Highway 1 on Highway 15, Highway 17 to Bridgeview Drive, Bridgeview Drive to King George Boulevard, and King George Boulevard to 120 Street.
Police will monitor many of the major intersections in the area "to ensure the safety of drivers and pedestrians," Surrey police said in a news release.
Police will also staff additional officers through the weekend, particularly at bars and restaurants in Surrey, "to prevent any gang-related incidents."
