RCMP is investigating a single-vehicle rollover on Highway 566 east of Symons Valley Road on June 27 that caused one man to be airlifted to hospital by STARS Air Ambulance, said EMS Spokesman Stuart Brideaux.
“At about 1:45 p.m., we dispatched a unit from Airdrie to Highway 566 just east of Symons Valley Road for reports of a single-vehicle collision over a guard rail,” he said. “Upon arrival, the Airdrie crew found a single male occupant trapped in his vehicle. He had quite a serious arm injury so they requested STARS attend.”
Brideaux said EMS expected the extrication of the man to take some time and called STARS in part to shorten the time it would take to get him to the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary.
“It was expected to be a prolonged extrication so we needed to make up time by flying him,” he said. “The rollover was also quite extreme and his arm injury was serious.”
He was transported in serious condition.
“He was more in serious limb-threatening condition than life-threatening condition,” Brideaux said.
Rocky View County Fire Services and Airdrie Rural RCMP also attended the scene.
The 70-year-old Edmonton man was the lone occupant of the vehicle and no other vehicles were involved in the collision, said Constable Matt Gervais of the Airdrie Rural RCMP in a release issued on June 27.
The vehicle was westbound on Highway 566 when the driver struck a guard rail. The car travelled a short distance on the guard rail before rolling onto its roof and into the ditch.
Highway 566 was closed at Symons Valley Road for five hours, according to Gervais. The RCMP Collision Analyst attended the scene. Both speed and alcohol are believed to be contributing factors in the collision, however, the investigation is ongoing.
The name of the driver is not being released because he has not yet been charged under the criminal code or the Alberta Traffic Safety Act.
