ATV driver dies in collision with pickup truck

A man died Tuesday when his ATV collided with a pickup truck and trailer containing active beehives.

Oakbank RCMP were called to Garven Road in the RM of Springfield about 10:30 p.m.

The pickup was travelling west when the ATV came out of the ditch, crossed the road and collided with the truck, RCMP said.

The driver of the ATV, 32, died at the scene. The man driving the truck, 27, suffered minor injuries.

When RCMP officers arrived on scene, the pickup truck was in the south ditch and the heavily damaged ATV was on the road.

Tony Kuleza was driving home when he spotted the crash shortly after it happened.

"The whole scene was strange," he said.

Bees on the road

Kuleza saw bees on the road and several of the hives on the flatbed trailer appeared to be broken. The two people who were in the truck were talking to emergency responders on their phone, Kuleza said.

Kuleza took out his phone and turned on the flashlight to flag down other drivers. One of those drivers started performing CPR on the ATV driver, who was lying on the road.

Paramedics and STARS Air Ambulance arrived soon after.

"When the paramedics were there performing CPR, some of them, I heard, they were getting stung by the bees, so there was an added hazard to a pretty dicey situation to begin with," Kuleza said.

"It was a strange and an unfortunate end to a Tuesday."

RCMP said alcohol was not a factor in the collision.

A forensic collision reconstructionist is helping with the investigation.