On January 18, 2018, at approximately 5:15pm, officers from the Portage la Prairie RCMP responded to a three-vehicle collision at the intersection of Provincial Road 240 and Provincial Road 331, approximately two kilometres north of Southport, Manitoba.
Investigators have determined that a car, being driven by a 70-year-old Portage la Prairie man, was heading south on PR240. While waiting to turn east onto PR331, his car was struck from behind by a van being driven by a 42-year-old Portage la Prairie woman. The resulting collision pushed the car into the west side ditch and the van came to a stop facing south on PR240. The driver of the van then exited her vehicle to check on the condition of her four-year-old son when she was struck by a southbound pickup truck being driven by a 67-year-old Portage la Prairie woman.
Police say that the 42-year-old woman was transported to hospital in serious condition where she succumbed to her injuries. Her four-year-old son was not injured but transported to hospital as a precaution. The 70-year-old male driver of the car, along with a 68-year-old female passenger, were transported to hospital with non-life threatening injuries. The 67-year-old female driver that struck the victim was not injured.
RCMP report that both PR 240 and PR331 were closed for approximately 14 hours.
Officers from the Portage la Prairie RCMP along with an RCMP Forensic Collision Reconstructionist continue to investigate.
