One woman is dead following a two-vehicle collision on Highway 772, northwest of Airdrie, on the afternoon of Dec. 12.
The driver of a 2007 Hyundai Accent, travelling northbound at 2:44 p.m., lost control on the slippery road surface, spun into the oncoming lane and collided with a southbound 2007 Toyota Camry, according to an analysis by the Airdrie Rural RCMP and the Airdrie Integrated Traffic Unit.
A 24-year-old female from Calgary was the driver and lone occupant of the Accent.
She died at the scene as a result of injuries sustained in the collision. Police will not be releasing the name of the deceased. The two occupants of the Camry, a 50-year-old male driver, and a 50-year-old female passenger, from Crossfield, were transported to hospital with non-life threatening injuries and have since been released. Police said slippery road conditions played a role in this collision and speed and alcohol are not believed to be factors.
Members of the Airdrie Integrated Traffic Unit issued 22 charges, between 4 p.m. and 2 a.m. Dec. 10, as they conducted enhanced Checkstop operations in the Airdrie, Acme and Didsbury areas. RCMP issued eight 24-hour suspensions, four impaired-driving related charges and three provincial traffic violations, in addition to several other Traffic Safety Act and Criminal Code breaches.
“Impaired driving continues to be the leading criminal cause of death in Canada,” said Sheriff Jason Graw. “Last year, in Alberta alone, there were 86 fatal collisions that involved alcohol. It is a priority for us to reduce the number of fatalities on provincial highways by targeting impaired drivers and taking them off the road.”
A total of 650 vehicles were checked at the Checkstop locations throughout the evening.
On Dec. 9, Cochrane RCMP and the Cochrane Integrated Traffic Unit issued one immediate alcohol-related licence suspension and a number of other traffic violations, during its Enhanced Holiday Checkstop.
RCMP said the purpose of the two-hour Checkstop, which proved to be highly successful and was received in a positive manner from the public, was education and enforcement. Police checked an estimated 350-400 vehicles. A second Enhanced Holiday Checkstop was scheduled for Dec. 17, after the Rocky View Weekly went to press.
On Nov. 30, Calgary’s Jin Song Wu plead guilty to production of a controlled substance, failing to comply with a condition of a recognizance and theft of electricity, in relation to a recent discovery of a marijuana grow-op in Cochrane. Police discovered the operation in Sunterra Heights on Nov. 4.
Wu received a sentence of 18 months in custody, to be served consecutively with an additional six-month sentence for unrelated drug charges.
If you have information on any unsolved crime, call your local RCMP detachment or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
