A 26-year-old semi truck driver from Winnipeg is facing a number of charges after the semi he was driving collided into an SUV on the Perimeter Highway. The result of the impact caused a chain reaction of collisions.
On January 28, 2021, at approximately 5pm, an RCMP Traffic Services officer was on patrol when he noticed a collision that had just occurred in the eastbound lanes of the Perimeter Highway at Pipeline Road. The officer immediately called for assistance, as well, a 911 call was also received by the RCMP Operational Communications Centre. When the officer pulled up to the scene, traffic was already backing up and there was debris all over the roadway.
The attending officer stated that from observing the scene, it appeared that an SUV had been struck from behind, causing it to strike a transit van, which then struck a car, which then hit a pickup truck. It was noted that a semi truck was parked on the shoulder, approximately 20 metres from the collision scene. Witnesses reported the semi was also involved in the collision.
As the officer was checking on people involved in the collision, the semi started to drive away, turning south onto Pipeline Road. The officer then got in his vehicle and initiated a traffic stop on the semi. As a result, the driver of the semi was arrested for failing to remain at the scene of a collision.
Official police investigation has determined that the four vehicles that were hit in this collision were stopped at the traffic light at Pipeline Road. At that point, the SUV was struck by the semi, causing a chain reaction of collisions that included the van, car and pickup truck.
Police say that the 57-year-old female driver of the SUV, from the RM of St. Andrews, was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries and the 48-year-old male driver of the van, from Selkirk, was not seriously injured. RCMP noted that the 25-year-old male driver of the car, from East St. Paul, was not injured, but did have a suspended licence and will receive a ticket for that offence.
RCMP report that the 26-year-old male driver of the semi, from Winnipeg, has been charged with several Highway Traffic Act offences and a serious offence notice at this time. Further charges under the Criminal Code may be considered.
