Two vehicle collision on highway in east central Alberta leaves five dead

RCMP say the crash south of Hardisty on Monday night occurred when the driver and only occupant of the sport-utility vehicle crossed the centre line and hit a car with four people inside. (Photo: NordNordWest/ Wikipedia)

HARDISTY, Alta. –Five people have been killed in a collision between a car and an SUV on a highway in east-central Alberta.

RCMP say the crash south of Hardisty on Monday night occurred when the driver and only occupant of the sport-utility vehicle crossed the centre line and hit a car with four people inside.

Police say the SUV caught fire and hit the ditch.

RCMP Cpl. Ron Bumbry said a family of four –a 52-year-old male driver, a 44-year-old woman and two children who were nine and 12 –died in the crash.

They lived in Amisk, Alta.

Bumbry said an autopsy has to be done to identify the driver of the SUV.

Police are looking for witnesses to the crash to help figure out what happened. Bumbry said passersby called in the crash a few minutes after.

“Very, very tragic situation,” Bumbry said Tuesday.

“You could imagine the impact that it has that a whole family is now gone from this community. The community consists of approximately 200 people, and these people were well-known within the community.”

The children went to a rural school with 143 students in Hughenden, Alta., said Bob Allen, superintendent of Buffalo Trail Public School Division.

“It is with profound sadness that we announce the death of two of our students as a result of an accident,” Allen said in a statement.

“The school community is close-knit and this tragedy has had a significant impact on many of the students and staff. Out of respect for the families, we are not releasing any further information at this time.”

The school division’s crisis response team was at the school Tuesday and will remain as long as needed, Allen said.