One dead following multiple collisions on Hwy. 2

Source: Airdrie Echo

ALBERTA - Police are still tallying the total number of collisions and crashes that occurred on local highways Nov. 27 when severe winter driving conditions were observed.

One collision involved 59 vehicles and resulted in the death of a 21-year-old man.

Airdrie RCMP Cpl. Darrin Turnbull said shortly after 3 p.m. RCMP received word of two separate multi-vehicle pileups near the Carstairs overpass.

In the largest incident, Turnbull said 56 personal vehicles and three semi-trucks were involved in a pile-up just south of the Carstairs overpass on northbound Hwy. 2.

During the chaos, a 21-year-old male exited his vehicle to seek safety from the colliding cars but was struck by another vehicle and killed instantly as he ran across the highway, police said.

"There were two occupants in that vehicle," Turnbull said. "The two of them made a decision together to get out of the vehicle because they thought it would be safer to run to the side of the road.

"They knew they were going to get hit over and over again because of the other vehicles that were coming.

"One of them was able to make it safely across while the other was not. It's one of those split second decisions where you have to decide what you're going to do."

Police have not released the name of the man killed.

Three people were also seriously injured in the collision and transported to hospital via ambulance.

Airdrie Emergency Services chief Sheldon Leavitt said the collision was the biggest roadway incident he had ever participated in and called the crash "very significant."

"There were semis and private vehicles strewn all over the place," Leavitt said. "It was quite the scene to be in.

"Cars were on the road, in the ditches. They were everywhere.

"There were people outside of their vehicles and still inside their vehicles and some that couldn't get out of their vehicles because they were squished between to others and couldn't get the door open."

The second multi-vehicle collision occurred at approximately the same time and was located north of the Carstairs overpass.

In that collision, it's estimated that 25 vehicles were involved and three people were seriously injured and transported to hospital.

Turnbull said there were several single-vehicle collisions at the scene that did not contact other cars involved in the pile-up.

Both major crashes occurred near coulees where the highway dips.

Turnbull said the position of the sun and the dip in the road played pivotal roles in creating the dangerous situation.

At one collision, Turnbull said 29 members of the Canadian military, who were being transported in a bus, came across the crash and rendered assistance.

"Because of their training and first aid they were able to exit their bus and assist police on scene until the ambulances arrived," Turnbull said. "There were 29 green heroes that came running off a bus to help."

RCMP confirmed the members of the military who stopped to help were from CFB Cold Lake.

Because of the severe winter driving conditions and all the collisions, the highway was shut down in both directions from Carstairs to Didsbury for several hours.