An 86-year-old woman is dead following a two-vehicle crash near Busby on July 13.
The collision occurred at around 6 p.m. at the intersection of Range Road 271 and Township Road 580 between a southbound Chevy Avalanche and a westbound Hyundai SUV, said Westlock RCMP Cpl. Dave Casey.
As a result of the collision, the 86-year-old passenger in the Hyundai was transported by STARS air ambulance to the U of A hospital, where she later succumbed to her injuries. Her name has not yet been released.
The other two occupants of the Hyundai, the driver and a 12-year-old girl, were taken to the U of A hospital by ground ambulance, Casey said. They sustained only “minor injuries,” and were walking around the scene when STARS arrived.
Although the precise cause of the collision remains under investigation, he explained what led up to the tragic result.
He said two vehicles had been travelling west on Twp 580 at RR 271. The first vehicle safely crossed the intersection. The female driver of the southbound Avalanche saw the first westbound vehicle clear the intersection and continued to proceed south.
“As she was continuing southbound, another vehicle (the Hyundai) crossed in the path and unfortunately she was not able to avoid the collision,” Casey said.
Casey also noted the east-west traffic on Twp 580 faces a yield sign crossing RR 271.
Although he did not say exactly how the two vehicles collided, he did confirm it was the Avalanche that struck the Hyundai.
The impact caused the Avalanche to be spun 180 degrees and end up in an open pit on the west side of RR 271, while the Hyundai ended up in the field southwest of the intersection.
Casey said the driver of the Avalanche escaped her vehicle with minor injuries and was transported to the Westlock hospital. She was later released, he said.
The investigation into the collision is ongoing, he said, but alcohol is not a factor. He added determining what role speed may have played will prove to be challenging.
“Speed’s too hard to tell just because the road’s a gravel road and fire and ambulance and other people were on scene before us, so there was no way of telling where any of the marks on the road were because everyone had covered them up,” Casey said.
In addition, he said RCMP haven’t had a chance to speak with everyone involved in the collision, especially the occupants of the Hyundai.
“Obviously right at the moment they’re dealing with a tragic circumstance,” he said, adding he doesn’t want to be prying when they are grieving the loss of a loved one.
In light of the road conditions at the time of the collision, Casey said he cautions people when driving on dirt and gravel roads to be extra cautious when the roads are dry.
“I would just advise, when travelling on the township and range roads that are gravel roads, just to be cognizant that dust trails can sometimes blind vision and you need to give yourself that spacing between vehicles,” he said.
Casey also said that when approaching intersections, it’s important to pay attention to any vehicles that may be coming from other directions.
