A collision June 9 east of Chestermere claimed the life of 17-year-old junior lacrosse player Jaydon Sommerfeld, who succumbed to his injuries at the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary June 10.
Sommerfeld, from Chestermere, was a rookie with the Rocky View Silvertips of the Rocky Mountain Lacrosse League (RMLL). He played minor lacrosse with the Calgary Knights.
“The thoughts and prayers of the RMLL and the entire Alberta lacrosse community are with the Rocky View Silvertips today after hearing about the tragic car accident death of Jaydon Sommerfeld,” wrote RMLL president Duane Bratt in the release issued by the team. “Jaydon was a promising young lacrosse player and a very good person. He will be missed.”
According to RCMP, a vehicle travelling northbound on Highway 791 at approximately 4 p.m. first stopped at the intersection and then proceeded onto Highway 1 where it was struck by Sommerfeld’s vehicle, which was eastbound on Highway 1. A second eastbound vehicle then struck the young man’s vehicle.
EMS spokesman Adam Loria said crews responded quickly to the scene.
“(Sommerfeld) was trapped in his vehicle for a period of time and needed extrication,” Loria said. “He was stabilized by on-scene paramedics and then eventually airlifted by STARS Air Ambulance to the Foothills Medical Centre. At that time he was in serious, life-threatening condition with some potential internal injuries.”
Sommerfeld’s passenger, a 16-year-old from Langdon, was also injured in the collision, according to Loria.
“A female in her mid-teens was transported to the Foothills Medical Centre as well in serious but stable condition,” he said.
The driver of the vehicle that had been travelling northbound on Highway 791, a 47-year-old woman from Chestermere, was taken to the Peter Lougheed Centre in stable condition with minor injuries, according to Loria.
The driver of the third vehicle, a 35-year-old man from Strathmore, was not injured, according to RCMP.
Highway 1 eastbound and Highway 791 northbound were closed for four hours while crews worked to clear the scene, and the collision analyst was also called out to investigate.
According to a release issued by Strathmore RCMP June 10, investigators are continuing to look into the cause of the collision and believe driver attention may be a factor. Charges are being considered and will be based on the results of the investigation.
The Silvertips plan to honour their teammate by hosting a pub night at the Canadian Brewhouse in Airdrie June 19. All funds raised from the event will go to the Sommerfeld family.
“Jaydon was an outstanding young man – very loved and respected and we want to honour him and his family,” wrote Silvertips general manager Karry Vockeroth in the release. “The team decided very quickly this fundraiser would help his family immensely.”
Vockeroth added the team is hoping local businesses and residents will step up to help with the fundraiser. Anyone who would like to donate can contact the Silvertips by email at [email protected].
The team also dedicated their game against the Edmonton Crude, played at the Plainsman Arena in Airdrie June 14, to Sommerfeld, and will also be creating a bursary for players in his name. More details on the bursary will be released in the future, according to the team’s media relations coordinator, Natalie Flaman.
Chestermere mayor Patricia Matthews issued a statement June 11:
“As a mother of teenagers, I can’t imagine the pain and anguish these families must be going through,” she wrote.
“This is the worst news that any parent can get. On behalf of council and staff at the city, I extend our deepest sympathies to everyone involved, especially this boy’s family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them during this very difficult time.”
The collision came just weeks after the City of Chestermere posted information on their website about planned changes to the intersection at Highway 1 and Highway 791 being undertaken by Alberta Transportation.
According to the city’s website, those changes include constructing a “long separate lane for acceleration, which will allow vehicles to access westbound on Highway 1 without having to wait in the middle of the intersection.”
