Lynn Lau
Northern News Services

Tuktoyaktuk (Feb 11/02) - A Feb. 4 death on the ice road has prompted a warning from the NWT chief coroner

Percy Kinney said drivers need to take care on the ice roads.

"Ice roads are just inherently more dangerous than other roads and they require extra care and attention," Kinney said. "There's a lack of barrier protection and signage, and you can have cracks in the ice that create bumps in the road. People should be using extra caution."

Carl Smith, 38, of Tuktoyaktuk was killed last Monday night in a collision with a tractor trailer on a private ice road about 100 kilometres northeast of Tuktoyaktuk.

Smith's funeral is set for 3 p.m. today at Kitti Hall in Tuktoyaktuk.

Smith and a co-worker were both hit by the tractor-trailer while they were working on a small snow tractor that had broken down by the side of the road. The accident happened at about 10:20 p.m.

Medics from a nearby exploration camp responded, but Smith was probably killed instantly, said Sgt. Brian Winters with Tuktoyaktuk RCMP.

The co-worker was taken to Inuvik Regional Hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries.

"It was just a plain, simple, unfortunate accident," said Winters. "It's dark on the ice road and visibility is always a problem."

According to a sister of the deceased, Smith worked as an ice profiler for Gruben's Transport for about two years. He had one young daughter in Tuktoyaktuk.

"Everybody's really taking it hard," said Katy Smith.