3 injured in collision at same Manitoba highway intersection where van-semi tragedy claimed 17 lives

Canuck July 31, 2023 News/Canada/Manitoba

Three people suffered serious injuries Monday afternoon in a three-vehicle collision at the same rural Manitoba intersection where a van transporting seniors collided with a semi-trailer in June.

The collision took place at about 4:45 p.m. at the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 5, north of Carberry, Man.

RCMP say a pickup truck driving south on Highway 5 entered the Trans-Canada, colliding with an eastbound sport-utility vehicle.

Both the truck and SUV then collided with a third vehicle waiting at the stop sign south of the Trans-Canada Highway, RCMP said.

Police say two of the three injured people were taken to what they described as “a local hospital,” while a third person — a woman in her 40s — was taken by STARS air ambulance to Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg in critical condition, according to a STARS spokesperson.

“Injuries appear serious at this time, but no fatalities are reported,” RCMP Insp. Lee Fortin said in a statement.

Fire trucks and ambulances on a highway. — A photo posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, shows ambulances and fire trucks at the scene of a three-vehicle collision at the intersection of the Trans-Canada Highway and Highway 5 on July 31. Three people suffered what RCMP called serious injuries. (Murray Oliver/X)

The Trans-Canada is partly closed for an investigation as well as for safety reasons, the Mounties added.

“The public should expect delays in the area and avoid it if possible,” Fortin said.

“We very much appreciate that this may be extraordinarily upsetting for some people considering the recent mass casualty collision at the same intersection,” Fortin added.

“This is very early in this investigation and we need to do our work to confirm information and determine what happened. We will provide updates as soon as we are able. We urge anyone who is triggered by this incident to seek appropriate supports.”

On June 15, a van carrying mostly seniors from Dauphin, Man., to the Sand Hills Casino near Carberry crossed into the Trans-Canada Highway, where it was struck by a semi-trailer. Seventeen people died as a result of the collision and eight were injured.