WESTLOCK – The Westlock RCMP investigation into the early-June crash at the intersection of Highways 44 and 661 that claimed the life of a 35-year-old semi-truck driver from Calgary continues.
Westlock RCMP Detachment acting commander Cpl. Riley Sutherland said Aug. 31 that it’s a “long and complicated” process as to whether any charges will be laid — a collision analyst had been tasked with providing a report following the incident, while they’re also working on other aspects of the case.
“If we lay a charge, then the clock starts ticking for making sure that it will move through court. So, that’s one of the reasons that sometimes these take longer as we need all of the information in a row beforehand,” said Sutherland.
The most recent fatality at the intersection occurred just before 3 p.m., June 6, when police say a black Ford F-150 heading west on Highway 661 crossed Highway 44 and was clipped in the front by the southbound semi-truck hauling a sea-can trailer with non-hazardous material.
The collision caused the semi to roll into the east ditch roughly 100 metres from the Dapp Corner Store — the truck flipped onto its roof, while the trailer unit was on its side and covered half of the northbound lane of Highway 44. A 35-year-old man from Calgary succumbed to his injuries at the scene, while the driver of the pickup, a Westlock-area man, was uninjured.
Westlock RCMP officers, along with members of the Alberta RCMP Traffic-Westlock Unit and Athabasca RCMP, as well as ambulance crews and firefighters from the Town of Westlock and Westlock County, worked to save the semi driver as the highway didn’t reopen to traffic until 8 p.m. that night — the day of the crash, road conditions were perfect as it was sunny, clear, and dry.
County looks to increase safety
Since the most-recent crash, Westlock County has gotten involved to try and improve safety at the intersection and have erected a sign on Township Road 622 just before Highway 44 warning of an “importation intersection ahead.”
In September, county CAO Tony Kulbisky is also expected to be back in front of councillors to report on his meetings with the regional director of Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors and owners of the Dapp Corner Store where he presented his ideas to increase safety.
His proposals included changes to the store’s parking lot on the west side, the removal of the right turn onto Highway 44 from the store’s southern exit, removal of some of the trees between Highway 801 and Highway 44 to improve sightlines and additional lanes on Highway 661 to better-direct turning vehicles.
