One dead in fiery 2-vehicle collision on Walterdale Bridge
One person is dead and two others are in hospital after a fiery two-vehicle collision Tuesday on the Walterdale Bridge.
In an email to CBC News on Wednesday, an Alberta Health Services spokesperson confirmed that one person died at the scene. Two others were transported to hospital in stable condition.
The T-bone collision happened around 8 p.m. One vehicle was a four-door sedan. The other was a compact pickup truck.
Justin Riemer was cycling home and had reached the north side of the bridge when he saw the moments leading up to the crash.
Riemer said he watched a speeding black sedan make a sharp turn and begin driving the wrong direction on the Walterdale.
Within seconds, Riemer heard the crunch of metal.
"They turned very quickly," he said.
"And then it very quickly went out of sight and I heard a loud crash ... It was just a loud bang, the crunching of metal and plastic."
Riemer said he moved closer to the scene. By the time he got there, a crowd had gathered.
Drivers were pulling people from the wrecked vehicles.
"I saw that and ran to the scene and saw the black car start on fire," he said.
"Some bystanders who had been at the scene had stopped and run out and pulled the individuals out of the cars and the police came very shortly thereafter."
Riemer said two men were pulled from the black sedan. He could not see who was rescued from the pickup.
"People were close by when the car was on fire and eventually they started spreading out because they were concerned that it was going to blow because it was quite engulfed with flames," he said.
Riemer shot a video of the scene
It shows flames shooting from the sedan and black smoke billowing around emergency vehicles arriving on scene.
The scene was unnerving, Riemer said.
In an interview with CBC on Tuesday night, Rowan Anderson with Edmonton Fire Rescue Services said there was a T-bone collision on the bridge around 8 p.m.
Fire crews were dispatched and arrived on scene at 8:07 p.m. When firefighters arrived, one of the vehicles was on fire.
Anderson said two people were treated at the scene and transported to hospital.
The bridge was closed to all traffic and drivers Tuesday evening. Pedestrians and cyclists were asked to take other routes.
A news release from Edmonton Police Service said the closure was also affecting Queen Elizabeth Park Road and Kinsmen Park Road.
The Walterdale Bridge was open again Wednesday morning.
