INNISFAIL – A female motorist involved in a two-vehicle crash last month at a Highway 54 intersection has died from her injuries.
Innisfail RCMP confirmed on March 3 that the 54-year-old Calgary woman passed away on Feb. 25, following a Feb. 14 collision with a pickup truck at a highway intersection on the west side of town.
Gary Leith, fire chief of Innisfail Fire Department, said at the time the injured woman was listed in serious condition and was transported by STARS air ambulance to Edmonton's Royal Alexandra Hospital.
Innisfail RCMP Staff Sgt. Chris Matechuk said the investigation into the crash has not yet been completed but added no charges of any kind are expected.
“It’s pretty apparent at what had occurred,” said Matechuk of the crash that occurred just before 2:15 p.m. on Feb. 14 at the intersection of 42nd Street and Highway 54.
It was noted by RCMP and local emergency responders that there was a heavy snowfall at the time, which created poor visibility and challenging winter driving conditions.
Matechuk said a Mazda car driven on 42nd Street by the Calgary woman stopped at the intersection at Highway 54. The woman pulled out into the intersection in front of a westbound Dodge Ram pickup truck and was “T-boned.” The collision forced the Mazda to skid about 50 metres down an embankment.
Leith said last month Innisfail firefighters were at the scene within five minutes of the first emergency call.
“(The call) came in as a motor vehicle collision with one person trapped,” said Leith.
He said the driver of the pickup truck, who is from Lundbreck, was uninjured but the female in the car was unconscious, unresponsive and trapped when firefighters arrived at her damaged vehicle that had been forced down the embankment.
“(Firefighters) forced the door open to allow access to her,” said Leith. “Based on her condition she was rapidly removed from her vehicle. She was unconscious all the way through.”
The injured woman was then transported to hospital.
