Manitoba RCMP Const. Adam Reid was driving south on Highway 10 near Minnedosa with his police partner on Valentine’s Day, when he was involved in a deadly crash that took the lives of three people.
The two had rounded a bend in the road when a car heading northbound looked like it touched the shoulder then over-corrected, taking it into the path of traffic.
“There was a southbound vehicle in front of us, which the northbound vehicle collided with,” Reid said.
He said the northbound car started to roll, so he immediately stepped on the brakes, slowing down to around 40 km/h when his police cruiser collided with the oncoming vehicle.
Reid said his first instinct was to make sure his partner was doing alright. After confirming he was fine, he got out and began checking on other cars.
READ MORE: Three people dead following six-car collision in western Manitoba
The driver of the first car Reid looked at was dead. He continued making his way around the scene, asking people to stay in their cars while he evaluated the situation.
“I checked on the second victim on the highway — obvious signs of trauma and deceased when I checked on her,” Reid said. “At this time, I noticed my partner was out of the vehicle so again, a little reassuring that my partner is also okay.”
He heard yelling from the car in front of his cruiser, and assured the four occupants that emergency responders were en route.
“I met my partner on the road, he confirmed that he was okay again,” the officer said, noting the pair continued checking in on one another regularly in the moments after the crash.
“We did that more than once, I think just the totality of the situation and how it came upon us was pretty severe.”
His partner took control of the situation while Reid stayed with the car in front of their cruiser.
“Not too often are you involved in stuff like this, especially in the capacity that we were — an on-shift police motor vehicle collision is a pretty significant factor, especially when three people are deceased on scene.”
As soon as ambulances arrived, the constable and his partner stepped back, realizing they were victims too.
“We were involved just as well as anybody else, so as soon as that primary care is done and fire and EMS starts getting on scene, as well as other members who were called out, it starts to sink in.”
Getting over the traumatic event has taken some time, and Reid is always a little more hesitant coming around that bend in the road.
“Usually going to a fatal collision, you’re thinking in your head you’re always preparing for the worst, so once you get there, you’re kind of expecting more than what you’re imagining,” he said. “So when it unfolds in front of you and you’re sitting there thinking ‘holy crap, I’ve just been involved in this,’ it changes perspective, definitely.”
“We’ve had 31 fatalities on RCMP-patrolled roads this year in the province of Manitoba,” he said. “Going into the long weekend, that’s a huge thing. People need to remember to buckle up, not drink and drive and take care for other people on the road.”
This time last year, Manitoba had seen 12 fatalities on highways to date. The five year average from January to May long weekend is 16 fatalities.
“It’s not just you on the road, there’s thousands of other people traveling this weekend in the province.”