OLDS — From Dec. 20-27, collisions in town and on Highway 2 near Olds were down from last year.
An Olds RCMP officer suspects COVID-19 pandemic restrictions may have played a role in that decline.
According to Cst. Morley Statchuk, 11 collisions occurred in the area during that period, down from 14 during the same dates in 2019.
But they were up during Christmas Eve, as drivers battled icy roads created by a storm that blew in a couple of days earlier.
“It was this snow that was blowing after the snowfall and sticking on the highway,” Statchuk said. "You know how it is when it blows and it creates snow on the highway and then cars drive on it and create the ice.”
He said no injuries occurred as a result of any of those collisions.
Cpl. Courtney Harding agrees that it was busy during the day on Christmas Eve.
“I actually worked Christmas Eve day and with the conditions on Highway 2 we were run off our feet,” she said.
Police dealt with only one impaired driver from Dec. 20-27, down from five the previous year.
Statchuk believes that decline is also related to the COVID restrictions.
“I think there could be a combination that people are not out and about,” he said.
Dec. 20-27 was also challenging for Olds RCMP because they were a bit short-staffed. A couple of officers were off for various reasons, including surgery. One was also transferred out of the detachment.
