A 61-year old man from Musgravetown, Newfoundland & Labrador was killed in a single-vehicle a semi-truck crash on Highway 881 north of Lac La Biche on Monday. Police say the crash happened at about 6 pm.
Lac La Biche RCMP say the southbound semi crossed the highway and rolled into the northbound ditch on a stretch of the roadway near Owl River's Lady of the Snow Cemetery, about 15 kilometres north of the Lac La Biche hamlet.
Nitrogen load
Fire, police and ambulance crews were dispatched to the crash. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police say the truck was hauling a payload of compressed nitrogen gas, but there were no spills or leaks reported.
Police and municipal peace officers at the scene closed down the highway for several hours, re-routing traffic on the busy north-south connector along an 80 kilometre detour through Plamondon on Highway 858.
RCMP media relations Corp. Gina Staney told Lakelandtoday.ca that the road was closed for more than three hours. Staney also said the driver was the lone occupant of the truck.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of the deceased," she said.
No further updates on the crash from police are anticipated.
