Series of Manitoba crashes a product of poor choices, RCMP say
A series of Manitoba crashes over the weekend—one of them fatal—wasn't the product of poor road conditions or weather. They were from drivers who made bad decisions, RCMP says.
A 45-year-old woman died after being injured in a crash on Friday in Anola. There were also serious crashes on Bishop Grandin Boulevard, Highway 59 near Birds Hill Provincial Park and on the Perimeter Highway.
Sgt. Bert Paquet with the RCMP said the nature of the crashes lead investigators to believe they likely happened because of poor decisions made by drivers.
"It always gets a bit frustrating, because in perfect conditions we know someone decided to make a manoeuvre or make a decision that was unsafe," said Paquet, adding the sad part of these crashes is people driving safely are often victims as well.
"What we see in all these contributing factors is that the common denominator … is a decision made by a driver at the time, and unfortunately it often implies or involves vehicles that are doing the right thing."
The fatal Anola crash sent four people to hospital Friday night. A northbound SUV on Highway 12 hit an eastbound car on Highway 15. It resulted in the death of a 45-year-old woman.
The crash near Birds Hill on Saturday afternoon sent eight people to hospital. It happened because a southbound motorist was driving erratically in the wrong direction on northbound Highway 59. RCMP said alcohol played a role.
In the Bishop Grandin incident early Sunday morning, Winnipeg police said a 29-year-old driver walked away from a crash he allegedly caused, leaving his two injured passengers behind. He was arrested Sunday and charged with two counts of failing to stop at the scene of an accident causing bodily harm.
On Sunday afternoon, a silver Chevrolet Cavalier rolled over on the Perimeter Highway north of Fermor Avenue. Police said he pushed one car into the median and was driving erratically as he was attempting to merge off Fermor, according to witness reports. He sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
Two people were also hurt Monday morning in a rollover crash near Elie, Man. A loose trailer being towed popped off a hitch and collided with the vehicle. Their injuries were non-life-threatening.
