A head-on collision near Black Diamond Nov. 28 claimed the life of a Grade 3 teacher at École francophone d’Airdrie.
According to Turner Valley RCMP, a car driven by a 35-year-old woman from Airdrie traveling westbound on Highway 7 near 112 Street swerved out of its lane and into oncoming traffic at approximately 9:20 p.m. The vehicle was struck by a minivan.
The woman was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics.
The name of the deceased is not being released at the request of her family in Quebec, according to a representative at the school.
The school posted a statement on its Facebook page, Nov. 30, indicating staff and students were “dismayed” by the news of the popular teacher’s death.
“(She) was an exceptional teacher, one of my leaders. She exuded a love of life that will be missed by all,” Principal Martin Camirand said. “The school community of École francophone d’Airdrie offers its most sincere condolences to the family and friends of (our teacher).”
A celebration of life was held in Airdrie but was open only to the parents, students and staff of the school, according to the school representative.
According to EMS Spokesman Stuart Brideaux, EMS units from Black Diamond and Okotoks responded.
“Given the amount of damage to both vehicles, the first arriving EMS ground crews requested STARS (Air Ambulance) to attend the scene,” Brideaux said. “Paramedics assessed the three occupants of the minivan and determined the driver, a male in his early 70s, would require rapid transport to hospital by air.”
The man was transported to the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary by STARS in serious condition with injuries to his pelvis and legs. A woman in her 50s and another woman in her early 30s were transported to Foothills by ground ambulance in stable condition with soft tissue injuries.
The cause of the collision remains under investigation, according to Turner Valley RCMP.
