The deaths of four teenagers near Winnipeg Beach and a 25-year-old Winnipeg man near Oak Bluff have added to Manitoba’s growing highway death toll, as road fatalities continue to rise above both last year’s levels and the five-year average.
Manitoba RCMP said officers were called to the intersection of Highway 8 and Provincial Road 229 at approximately 9:15 p.m. Sunday. Investigators believe a vehicle carrying four teenagers was travelling westbound on PR 229 and attempting to cross Highway 8 when it was struck by a southbound van.
The force of the collision sent both vehicles into the southwest ditch, with one of the vehicles rolling onto its roof. All four occupants of the westbound vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene, including an 18-year-old woman from Winnipeg, an 18-year-old man from Gimli, an 18-year-old woman from Sandy Hook, and a 17-year-old boy from Ear Falls, Ontario.
The four occupants of the van, including a 49-year-old driver, an adult woman and two children, suffered minor injuries.
The crash was one of two fatal collisions reported during the Labour Day period. A separate head-on collision near Oak Bluff claimed the life of a 25-year-old Winnipeg man after his SUV crossed into the path of an oncoming semi-truck. Together, the two crashes claimed five lives and have further heightened concerns about road safety across Manitoba.
The tragedies come amid a sharp rise in fatal collisions across the province. Manitoba RCMP reported 48 deaths resulting from 43 fatal collisions as of late July, up 23 per cent from the 39 fatalities recorded during the same period last year and 34 per cent above the five-year average.
The latest crash has also renewed concerns about safety at the Highway 8 and PR 229 intersection. Winnipeg Beach Mayor Terry Calof noted another fatal collision occurred there in July, claiming the life of an 86-year-old man, while another serious crash was reported at the intersection last September.
Calof said traffic volumes can become especially heavy during long weekends and plans to raise the issue with council and provincial officials to explore potential safety improvements.
An RCMP Forensic Collision Reconstructionist is assisting with the investigation, which remains ongoing.
