Edmonton – It’s an incident Jordan Guard will never forget.
The Alberta man says he was driving in his truck Thursday on Highway 2 south of Leduc with his girlfriend and their seven-month-old son when he saw a multi-vehicle collision ahead.
Guard says as he was coming to a safe stop on the shoulder of the highway, he saw in his rear-view mirror a jack knifed semi-truck coming towards his truck. The semi had lost control on the icy highway. Guard made a split second decision to drive his vehicle into the ditch, hoping to avoid the on-coming semi. But according to Guard, the semi also went into the ditch, hitting his truck.
“He hit us so hard, I don’t know how fast he was going, but he didn’t slow down at all,” Guard recalled. “The next thing I know, we’re on an angle and there’s a van underneath us.”
Guard, along with his girlfriend and infant son, managed to escape the collision relatively unscathed.
However, Guard’s ordeal wasn’t over.
He says moments after the three got out of the truck, a second semi had lost control and crashed into several vehicles that were stopped along the highway. The collision reportedly caused a domino affect, in which Guard’s truck was hit a second time. During the crash Guard’s vehicle collided into him, partially trapping him underneath.
“We hear another bang and everything’s moving again and my truck hits me in the back, knocks me on the ground.”
Guard says he only suffered minor injuries in the frightening incident and managed to crawl out. He, his girlfriend, and son spent the next five hours in a strangers vehicle at the scene, until they were able to leave.
On Friday afternoon, Guard was at the Wetaskiwin Hospital getting treated for his injuries.
Dozens of people were injured in the pile-up on Highway 2 which involved as many as 100 vehicles in a 15 kilometre stretch. However, RCMP say that number does not take into account the numerous secondary collisions outside the immediate scene.
The multi-vehicle crash forced Highway 2 from Highway 13 (Wetaskiwin exit) to Highway 616 (Millet exit) to be closed in both directions for several hours, as police investigated and emergency crews worked to remove vehicles.
The highway has since been reopened. Officers say the investigation will take time due to the shear volume of vehicles involved.
The following photos of the collision on highway 2 were supplied by Ponoka RCMP.
Elsewhere in Alberta, there was a deadly collision north of Westlock Thursday morning which claimed the lives of three people, including two young children.
The crash happened around 11:00 a.m. on Highway 44, approximately 85 kilometres north of Westlock.
RCMP say a Dodge truck was heading north on Highway 44 when it collided head-on with a Ford car that was travelling south.
A 23-year-old woman, a four-year-old girl and a two-year-old boy, who were in the car at the time, were pronounced dead at the scene, according to Westlock RCMP.
Officers say a adult female and a young boy who were also in the car were taken to hospital with serious injuries.
The 46-year-old male driver of the truck was also transported to hospital with serious injuries.
RCMP say highway conditions were poor at the time of the collision.
Alcohol is not considered a factor, but Westlock RCMP have charged the driver of the truck, Matthew Darren Kanzig of Slave Lake, with three counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and two counts of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm. He is scheduled to appear in court on March 27, 2013.
In Edmonton, there were 164 during a 24 hour period starting Thursday morning. Eleven of those crashes involved injuries, 13 were hit-and-runs, the rest were considered fender-benders, according to the Edmonton Police Service.
Go to the province’s 511 road report website for up-to-date road conditions around Alberta.
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