By Ponoka News Staff
UPDATED: The man who drove several kilometres in the wrong lanes of the QEII before colliding head-on with another vehicle near Ponoka has died.
RCMP issued a press released Oct. 30 stating the 77 year-old man who survived the Oct. 9 incident has since passed away in hospital from the injuries he suffered in the crash.
The release also explained an investigation has been done regarding the collision, but that no more information will be released on the incident.
Original story below:
A head on collision on Highway 2 resulted in serious injuries, however, everyone involved survived.
Just after 10 p.m. Oct. 9, crews were called to the collision on Highway 2 just north of the Highway 53 exit where a northbound Dodge Caravan, driven by a 77-year-old man, was believed to be driving in the southbound lanes. It is believed the van had been driving in the wrong direction since the Morningside exit when it collided with a Lexus SUV.
“At 10:08 p.m., the first 911 call was received that a vehicle was travelling in the wrong direction. Several RCMP units responded but prior to locating the vehicle, another call was received that a collision occurred,” states a release from the RCMP.
The collision was so severe that two passengers in the Lexus had to be extricated by the Ponoka County East District Fire Department.
While EMS dealt with the injuries, members of the Ponoka Integrated Traffic Unit assisted with the extrication and assisted the collision analyst investigating the incident.
There was a one-year-old child in the SUV, a woman driver, 28, and a female passenger, 53. The SUV ended up in the west ditch while the Dodge ended up in the median.
Images of the scene show that crews had to cut the roof and doors off of the Lexus to get the patients out of the vehicle. They leave a stark image of the damage the Lexus contained.
Upon arrival the child was found not in a car seat but trapped within the vehicle and the elderly woman is said to have suffered a serious leg injury. To assist EMS with the patients, two volunteer firefighters drove ambulances to the University of Alberta Hospital for treatment.
“All above individuals suffered serious injuries and remain in the hospital in stable condition,” say police.
jeff.heyden-kaye@ponokanews.com
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