EDMONTON — Alberta RCMP say, between 5 a.m. and 9 a.m. Friday, emergency crews found 10 separate crashes on Highway 63 in the Wandering River area.
“Area roadways were found to be extremely ice,” said Const. Lisa Donald.
A number of vehicles were damaged and the highway was shut down in both directions until about 12:30 p.m.
One person was air-lifted to an Edmonton hospital by STARS where he is in stable condition.
As of 4:20 p.m., there was only one lane open on Highway 63 with alternating traffic north and southbound. Drivers should expect delays.
One of the collisions was a serious two-vehicle crash that happened about 54 kilometres north of the Atmore junction, near Wandering River.
While Highway 881 is still open, RCMP advised drivers to use it only if they absolutely have to.
Both Boyle and St. Paul RCMP said roads in the region northeast of Edmonton were in very icy condition.
St. Paul RCMP said overnight rain iced over highways, leading to extremely dangerous conditions in the morning. Police said if drivers didn’t need to be out on the roads, they should stay off them until conditions improve.
Serious and fatal collisions are tragically common on Highway 63, which is the main route into Fort McMurray and Alberta’s oil sands region. Click HERE for more stories about the highway.
Comments