Slippery highways cause tricky Monday for motorists

Slippery roads in the Lakeland area on Monday kept Vermilion, Blackfoot, and Marwayne Fire Departments busy.

On March 7, the Vermilion Fire and Rescue Society were toned out in the morning at 7:49 a.m. for a single-vehicle roll-over on Highway #16 about three miles west of Town.

Firefighters attended the scene and discovered the driver had already self-extricated. Crews remained on-scene to provide traffic control and assist with vehicle removal.

An hour later at 8:33 a.m., on the east side of the County boundary, Blackfoot Fire and Rescue were paged out for a single-vehicle roll-over on Highway #16 just past Range Road 23. County Pump, Car 1, and County #9-1 responded.

“The patient had managed to get themselves free and were kept warm by a passing motorist,” Director of Protective Services in the County of Vermilion River Kirk Hughes said. “They were treated by EMS on-scene and taken to hospital in stable condition. The RCMP continues to investigate.”

After clearing an earlier medical call, Marwayne Fire was alerted to a single-vehicle roll-over with unknown entrapment on Highway #897 before Lea Park Bridge at 12:25 p.m. Marwayne Heavy Rescue, Chief Truck, County Pump/Engine, and County #9-1 attended alongside RCMP Kitscoty.

“Thankfully, the two occupants managed to get out of the vehicle and were treated on-scene by Medical First Responders before being released to their own care,” Hughes said.

At 3:43 p.m. Chief Krys, of Vermilion Fire, advised that a three-vehicle MVC with a charter bus in the median ditch sent County Pump to provide traffic control on Highway #16 near Range Road 44.

Blackfoot Fire and Rescue, at 4:29 p.m., were notified of a single-vehicle roll-over on Highway #16 and Range Road 15. EMS and RCMP were also dispatched. Crews arrived on-scene and one patient was treated and transported to the hospital.

“Like many other emergency services across the region, the County of Vermilion River Protective Services had a busy day with icy and snow-covered roads contributing to some hazardous driving conditions,” Hughes said. “Crews responded to nearly a dozen calls for service, with many being minor in nature due to the large volume of snow in the ditches that cushioned a lot of the crashes.”

Peace Officers and the RCMP also responded to several additional calls for service, and Public Works and Gas Utility for the CVR also got into the act by helping pull vehicles out of the ditch and clear intersections and roads that had gotten covered in snow from the strong winds.

“We thank our volunteers for their efforts in keeping our communities safe during such adverse weather,” Hughes concluded.