Fort Simpson (Jan 19/07) - One passenger was ejected from a pickup truck during a single vehicle accident in Fort Simpson over the weekend.

The accident occurred around 7 a.m. on Jan. 13 near the turn-off to Wild Rose Acres, said Const. Sigmund Janke who attended the scene.

The pickup truck involved in an accident in Fort Simpson over the weekend was moved to a lot after being extracted from a ditch by loaders. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

A navy blue GMC mid-size pickup truck with a four-door crew cab was travelling away from the village when it entered the ditch on the right side of the road. It hit hard-packed snow, which caused the vehicle to veer and start to roll, said Janke. The vehicle rolled at least twice before stopping on the driver's side with the front end facing the bush.

Four young adults - three females and a male all 18-years-old or older and all local residents - were in the vehicle.

During the accident one of the females, who wasn't wearing a seatbelt, was ejected through the passenger side rear window and landed away from the truck, said Janke.

Three of the passengers suffered minor injuries and were treated and released from the Fort Simpson health centre. One person was medevaced to Yellowknife for further assessment.

"They were very lucky that they didn't receive serious injuries," Janke said. "Something more unfortunate could have happened to any one of them."

At the time of the accident, the temperature was around -30C with a wind. If anyone had suffered serious injuries they could have been complicated by exposure to the cold, he said.

The accident was reported to the RCMP by a passing driver who saw the four young adults standing on the side of the road and stopped to see if they were okay.

All sides of the vehicle received some degree of damage and broken parts littered the ditch before the truck was extracted by loaders and moved, Janke said.

Alcohol, poor judgment and speed were factors in the accident, said Janke. The posted speed in that area is 60 km/h.

In the past two years, the local RCMP detachment has investigated at least two similar incidents, and each could have had a tragic outcome, Janke said.

He said he is concerned that area residents aren't considering the lethal implications to themselves and others when alcohol and vehicles are combined.

"Alcohol and vehicles don't mix," he said.

The investigation into the accident is ongoing.