An Airdrie man is in critical condition at the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary after a single-vehicle rollover that occurred northbound on Highway 2 about half a kilometre south of the Yankee Valley Boulevard overpass on Aug. 17.
Corporal Darrin Turnbull of the Airdrie RCMP Integrated Traffic Unit said officers were called to the scene at 9:22 p.m. Turnbull said witnesses told the officers they’d seen the driver of the 2004 grey GMC Sierra pick-up truck lose control of the vehicle, rolling it into the eastside ditch.
The passenger, a 49-year-old man from Airdrie, was not wearing his seatbelt and was thrown from the vehicle, according to RCMP. He was transported to hospital in critical condition.
The driver of the truck, also 49 years old from Airdrie, was transported to hospital with undisclosed injuries. An update on their conditions was not available at press time.
According to Turnbull, the names of the driver and passenger are not being released pending the outcome of the police investigation.
An RCMP forensic collision re-constructionist was at the scene to review the physical evidence.
“It appears alcohol and speed may have been factors in the collision, however, RCMP is investigating to determine if they were in fact the cause of the collision,” said Turnbull.
Northbound traffic was reduced to one lane for almost four hours as officers worked to clear the scene. Turnbull said the highway was fully reopened by 1 a.m. on Aug. 18.
Turnbull said RCMP would like to hear from any one else who witnessed the accident. Witnesses are asked to either come into the detachment on Highland Park Way or to call (403) 945-7200.
Trailer Theft
Two Airdrie men - Harry Lightfoot, 54, and Adam Shaughnessy, 32 - are facing charges for Possession of Stolen Property after they attempted to steal a trailer from a construction site behind Sagewood Grove in the Canals neighbourhood on Aug. 12.
According to RCMP, officers were called to the scene at 10:15 p.m. after a resident witnessed two men using a tool to unlock the trailer. The witness said the two men hooked the trailer up to a pick-up truck and drove off with it.
Police said they found Lightfoot and Shaughnessy with the stolen trailer at the Mac’s Convenience store on Eighth Street and First Avenue a short time later where they were both arrested and charged with Possession of Stolen Property.
Lightfoot was also found to have outstanding warrants, however, Cst. Jason Curtis of the Airdrie detachment was not able to say what those warrants were for. Lightfoot was transported to the Calgary Remand Centre and was in Airdrie Provincial Court for a bail hearing on Aug. 14. The outcome of that bail hearing was not known at press time.
Shaughnessy was released and will appear in Airdrie Provincial Court on Sept. 4 to enter a plea.
Liquor Store theft
Airdrie RCMP is asking for the public’s help to identify a suspect in an attempted theft at the Sierra Springs Liquor Store on Aug. 17.
According to RCMP, a man entered the liquor store at 9 p.m., picked out a bottle of cognac worth $1,000 and placed it on the counter near the store’s exit. He remained in the store for a further 45 minutes browsing the shelves before attempting to leave at which point he picked up the bottle of cognac.
The store clerk was able to remotely lock the door and keep the man from leaving.
The clerk convinced the suspect to leave the bottle on the counter at which point he unlocked the door, allowing the man to exit the store.
The clerk was able to provide a general description of the man to RCMP. The suspect is described as Caucasian, in his late 20s or early 30s, and was wearing a while baseball cap, a white Puma shirt and white shoes. His image was also captured on video surveillance.
If you have any information on any crime, call your local RCMP detachment or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
