One person dead after collision on Highway 63, south of Fort McMurray
One person is dead after a collision 95 kilometres south of Fort McMurray on Saturday, RCMP said.
Police received a 911 call about the crash on Highway 63, at about 10:30 a.m. Saturday. At least one person died, Cpl. Teri-Ann Deobald confirmed. She could not confirm how many people were injured or how many vehicles were involved.
Police are in the process of notifying next of kin, she said.
"It's around Christmas time, so it's a hard time for families to lose a loved one," she said.
The southbound lane of Highway 63 was closed for several hours as police investigated. All vehicles involved in the collision have been removed from the area and both lanes are now open to traffic, police said. Emergency crews have left the scene.
Motorists are urged to slow down on roads and highways in the Wood Buffalo area. A recent freeze-thaw cycle has made for "treacherous" highway conditions, Deobald said.
Road conditions were poor this morning, with snow dusted on top of ice after overnight rain and the temperature hovering around -7 C, she said. The temperature is expected to climb to 2 C on Sunday.
"It's very slippery here," Deobald said.
She could not confirm the fatal collision was caused by poor conditions, but said police are investigating all possible causes.
