Hwy-3 Crash - truck and cargo trailer destroyed - LNN

By Dori Modney

Multi vehicle collision on icy Highway-3

Dec 2, 2019 | 3:27 PM

COALDALE — Coaldale Fire and emergency services and RCMP had to deal with a stretch of highway carnage on Sunday (Dec 1). Not once, but twice.

Shortly after 7:00-pm, a multi-vehicle collision near the intersection with Range-Road 20-4 shut down the east bound lanes, just east of the Broxburn lights.

An initial count put the number of vehicles involved at nine. However, when everything was untangled, there was actually six vehicles involved, while other vehicles had simply stopped in the middle of the mess and it was difficult in the dark to see who was, and who wasn’t involved in the damage.

Hwy-3 multi-vehicle crash — LNN

The roadway was littered with debris from various vehicles – cars and trucks – that sustained everything from front-end damage to complete destruction, including a pick-up truck that was hauling a utility trailer.

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Coaldale Fire Chief Kevin McKeown said that while there were no fatalities, five people were assessed by EMS on-scene and three people were transported to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

Hwy-3 crash site — LNN

All east bound traffic was re-routed to the Jail road and west bound traffic was slowed to a crawl, as the damaged vehicles were strewn across the road, along the south ditch and in the median.

Coaldale Fire had the scene opened by 9:30.

Chief McKeown confirmed it was not the only incident at that location on Sunday. His department was called out at 2:50, to deal with a single vehicle roll-over. A west-bound vehicle rolled into the east-bound lanes. The female driver had to be extricated and was sent to hospital in stable condition.

With the windy conditions expected to continue, blowing snow will make the highways icy. Motorists are reminded to slow down and leave enough space between your vehicle and the one in front of you.