One person is dead and nine others were injured after more than a dozen vehicles crashed in poor weather conditions north of Calgary on Tuesday night.
A preliminary investigation has found five sedans, four pickups, three SUVs, a van and a commercial vehicle with a trailer were involved, RCMP said Wednesday.
Airdrie RCMP were still on the scene around midday and traffic was starting to slowly move again. Police said the primary causes of the crash seem to be weather and road conditions.
Jeff McIntosh, a freelance photographer who works with The Canadian Press, was one of the drivers involved.
He said there was a thick fog that made it hard to see the wreckage on the road ahead.
“I ended up stopping right beside where the fire was and the fire just started to get bigger and bigger,” said McIntosh, who rear-ended a flatbed truck.
McIntosh, who was among many travelling home after the Calgary Flames game, only received a couple of bruises.
His vehicle, however, was not so lucky.
“It’s a writeoff,” said McIntosh. “All the airbags went off and it was beside the fire so I’m sure it’s scorched on one side for sure.”
One person died on-scene and nine people were taken by ground ambulance to hospitals for various non-life-threatening conditions.
“Road conditions are still poor, and police continue to recommend that drivers avoid travelling if possible,” RCMP said in a news release.
“If travel is unavoidable, please exercise caution and drive according to the road conditions.”