Advertisement

Close to 40 vehicles crash in just three pileups on highway near Calgary

A smashed truck is shown after a pile-up near Crossfield, Alta on Saturday Nov. 16, 2013. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, RCMP

CROSSFIELD, Alta. - Dozens of people became stranded in small town north of Calgary following a multi-vehicle pileup on a snowy highway.

Crossfield fire chief Ben Niven says close to 40 vehicles collided in three separate crashes on Saturday morning on Highway 2 — the main route connecting Calgary with Edmonton.

Stuart Brideaux with Alberta Health Services says two people in a car that collided with a semi were seriously injured and were taken by ambulance to hospital in Calgary, but he says one of the big pileups didn't produce any injuries at all.

The crashes on Highway 2 completely blocked southbound traffic, and Niven says Crossfield sent out a school bus to bring the stranded motorists to a local church.

In northeastern Alberta, police say poor weather was a factor in a rollover that killed the driver on Highway 43 near Valleyview on Friday evening.

RCMP advised people to stay off a number of highways in the province on Saturday as the snow that began the night before continued through the day.

"The highway was more-or-less ice with drifting snow," Niven said of one of the crash scenes on Highway 2.

"There was lots of debris and pretty much vehicles as far as the eye could see."

Niven noted that Crossfield would normally have brought the stranded people to its community centre, but he said there was a wedding scheduled there so they were brought to the church instead.

RCMP in Saskatchewan said snow was also causing accidents in that province as well.

Police say three semis lost control on Highway 1 west of Moose Jaw. There was no word on injuries.

The poor driving conditions come as many football fans from Saskatchewan are expected to hit the road to Calgary to see the Saskatchewan Roughriders play the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League West Final on Sunday.

Police advised against travelling on the highway until conditions improve.