High speed a factor in Lions Gate Bridge crash

High speed was at least partly to blame for a crash on Vancouver's Lions Gate Bridge late Wednesday night that killed two young men from Richmond, B.C., according to West Vancouver police.

The two men, aged 20 and 21, were in a Mazda 6 travelling northbound when their car spun out of control and hit an oncoming West Vancouver transit bus, according according to Cpl. Fred Harding.

A third car alsocollided with the vehicles and the jaws of life had to be used to remove the young men from their badly damaged car.

"One man was pronounced dead on the scene. The other one died I believe on the way to hospital," said Harding.

"As you can imagine the scene wasit was very bad. Obviously our hearts go out to the families of the two men. Our thoughts are with them today."

Four people on the bus, including the driver were treated for non-life threatening injuries. Those in the third vehicle were not injured.

The Lions Gate Bridge was closed for several hours earlyThursday morning but was reopened to traffic in both directions around 6:40 a.m. PT.

Harding says theRCMP will be handling the crashinvestigation.