McCreary man, 72, dies in crash with semi on Trans-Canada Highway
Manitoba RCMP are urging motorists to drive carefully on the highways after a 72-year-old man from McCreary, Man., died when his sport-utility vehicle was struck by a semi-trailer on the Trans-Canada Highway.
RCMP say the crash happened around 1:30 p.m. Thursday at the intersection of the Trans-Canada and Highway 13 in the Rural Municipality of Portage la Prairie.
Police said the semi, which was heading south on Provincial Road 430, tried to cross the eastbound lanes of the Trans-Canada toward Highway 13 when it collided with the eastbound SUV.
The driver of the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene. Police said a 73-year-old woman, also from McCreary, who was a passenger in the vehicle was taken to a Winnipeg hospital, where she is currently in stable condition.
The driver of the semi, a 53-year-old man from Oakville, Man., was not injured.
The collision is under investigation. RCMP say everyone involved was wearing seatbelts, and alcohol is not considered a factor.
"This appears to be another senseless and preventable tragedy and brings the total number of deaths on our roads to 76," Insp. Ed Moreland, the RCMP's officer in charge of traffic services in Manitoba, said in a news release Friday.
Moreland said so far this year, there has been a fatal crash in areas patrolled by the RCMP every 3½ days.
"This is a real and present threat to the safety and security of all persons who travel on our roads," he said.
"Going into the weekend, we remind everyone to drive responsibly and buckle up. Our officers will be on the roads, but we need every Manitoban to help us in order to make a real difference."
