OLDS – One man was killed in the multiple collisions that occurred on Highway 2 Friday due to poor road conditions.
Between the night of Thursday, Dec. 14 and the afternoon of Friday, Dec. 15, numerous vehicles were ditched, jackknifed, or collided with each other on the highway between the Didsbury overpass and Red Deer.
Heavy snowfall Thursday night, fog Friday morning and icy stretches were contributing factors, emergency responders said.
The multiple incidents and collisions claimed the life of a 58-year-old male resident of Fort Saskatchewan, RCMP said.
“Alberta RCMP offer their condolences to the family and friends of the deceased,” police said in a release issued Friday night.
The 11:09 p.m. update noted that Highway 2 had been fully reopened for travel in both directions.
Portions of the highway had been closed Friday between the Didsbury and Olds overpasses and a tow ban initiated.
Police began advising the public Thursday night around 10 p.m. to avoid travel on certain portions of the highway.
By that time, RCMP said multiple vehicles had driven off the road and several trucks had slid and were blocking stretches of the highway in the Innisfail area.
By 7 a.m. Friday morning, two jack-knifed semis had blocked the southbound lanes of Highway 2 at Highway 582 east of Didsbury, another had partially blocked the northbound lanes of Highway 2 at Highway 27 east of Olds, and two more northbound on Highway 2 near Penhold had blocked the exit ramp to Highway 42.
Throughout the morning, cars, passenger trucks and SUVs were also involved in collisions on the highway or slid off the road.
Collisions that closed northbound Highway 2 about three kilometres north of the Didsbury overpass had been cleared by noon Friday. The collisions by the Olds overpass were cleared before 5 p.m. and the southbound lane closure was lifted.
