SUNDRE – Impaired driving charges are pending against a male who was involved in a late night, two motor vehicle collision east of town that left the other driver pinned in her car.
Emergency crews responded late on Tuesday night to the crash on Highway 27 between Range Road 45 and 50 that resulted in a temporary road closure and also led firefighters to extricate a female patient.
The Sundre Fire Department dispatched two units – a rescue truck as well as a pumper – after being called out at 10:09 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 24, said Chief Ross Clews.
“That’s our standard response for motor vehicle collisions,” he said, adding the rescue truck is equipped with gear such as the Jaws of Life while the pumper truck is deployed defensively as a shield to protect the crew from traffic as they carry out their work.
“We extricated one patient, assisted with traffic control and roadblocks,” he said. “Our crews were released by RCMP and back in quarters here at the hall at about midnight.”
Police continued to investigate the collision and the road was later reopened just after 2 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 25.
Sgt. Randy Poon, the Sundre RCMP detachment’s acting commander, told the Albertan that when the members arrived at the scene, “they saw a female that was pinned in one of the vehicles that was being helped by EMS and Sundre Fire to extricate her.”
STARS did not need to be dispatched, and she was transported by ground ambulance to the hospital in Sundre for observation, he said.
“Being pinned in your vehicle, there could be some injuries. So, they would obviously take her to the hospital as a precaution,” he said.
The sergeant, who was reading notes from the responding member’s report of the incident, was unable to confirm her status.
Police also located a male suspected of driving impaired, the sergeant said late this morning, adding charges are pending and expected to be made official before very long.
The female was alone driving a Honda Civic and travelling in a westbound direction while the male – also the sole occupant in his vehicle – was headed east behind the wheel of a Nissan Rogue, he said.
However, the sergeant could not immediately confirm the nature of the collision such as whether the crash was a direct head-on.
Asked if road conditions might have been a factor, Poon said the collision was more likely the result of impaired driving.
“The Civic certainly was driving at a slower speed because of weather conditions,” he said.
The crash serves as yet another sobering reminder about the importance of driving with a clear mind of sound judgeent. The provincial government has been attempting to address the issue by for example introducing regulations that allow authorities to seize vehicles and licences, he said.
“The unfortunate thing is that you can do all these things, but these folks will find a way to drive (impaired),” he said. “Just stop.”
