Between 10 and 20 centimetres of snow fell during a spring blizzard, prompting Environment Canada to issue a travel advisory for areas north of Calgary, May 5.
Members of the Airdrie Integrated Traffic Unit (AITU), Alberta EMS and area fire departments responded to at least five separate collisions on Highway 2 between Calgary and Didsbury.
Although no one was seriously injured, several cars were flipped over in the collisions.
Theft of copper
Fourteen coils of copper wire, with a value of more than $30,000, was stolen from a locked compound in Airdrie, April 6.
In the early hours of the morning, unidentified persons cut United Oilfield Incorporation’s front gate lock and cut a hole in another part of the fence to gain entry to the property. The unknown suspects then drove onto the property in a pickup truck and stole the wire.
New drivers
This month, the AITU will be keeping a watchful eye on novice drivers.
“Fatal collisions involving young people are particularly difficult for everyone involved, for family, friends, and emergency responders alike,” said Sheriff Jason Graw, with the AITU.
“Youth between the ages of 15 and 24 are more likely to be injured or killed on Alberta highways than any other age group and we would like to see those rates drop significantly.”
Motor vehicle collisions are the leading cause of death and injury among Alberta’s youth. In 2012, 36 Albertans under the age of 20 were killed and another 3,160 were injured in vehicle collisions.
“Young drivers have less experience to help them cope with complex driving situations such as poor weather or emergency manoeuvres, are more likely to have distractions in the vehicle, are more likely to participate in high-risk driving behaviour, and tend to take their friends with them when they drive.
All of these factors contribute to high casualty rates on our highways for Alberta’s youth,” said Graw.
To prevent future death and injuries, officers will be monitoring for probationary drivers on the road between midnight and 5 a.m., probationary and Graduated License Drivers (GDL) with more occupants than the vehicle has seatbelts and those with alcohol in their system.
They will also be on the look out for Class 7 (learner’s) drivers without a non-GDL adult driver sitting in the front passenger seat and Class 7 moped drivers under 16 years of age carrying a passenger.
In addition to novice drivers, officers will focus on impaired driving, occupant restraints, speed and aggressive driving, intersection safety, intercepting travelling criminals and holiday long-weekend enforcement.
If you have information on any unsolved crime, contact Airdrie RCMP at 403-945-7200 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.crimestoppers.ab.ca Crime Stoppers will pay cash for information leading to the identity of the people responsible for this crime. Crime Stoppers does not ask for your name and does not subscribe to call display.
