Hay River (May 23/05) - A traffic accident at the NWT/Alberta border has claimed one life and left two people injured.

At about noon on May 20, two vehicles collided several hundred metres north of the 60th parallel on Highway 1.

An SUV was heading south and a pickup truck with a fifth-wheel camper was heading north.

Tire marks at the scene revealed that the vehicles collided violently before spinning off in different directions, only to wind up in the ditch on the same side of the highway. Both vehicles had NWT licence plates.

Early Friday afternoon an orange tarpaulin covered the crushed driver's side of the SUV, where the body of the victim remained until the arrival of the coroner later that afternoon.

On Saturday, the RCMP had still not released the name or hometown of the victim, pending notification of the family.

The other two victims were medevaced to Edmonton with non-life-threatening injuries.

The truck/camper came to rest on its right side, with the truck obscured by trees.

The damage to the truck was not visible.

The virtually destroyed SUV was upright just off the highway.

The accident was a tragic lead-in to the Victoria Day long weekend, one of the most dangerous times of the year on Canadian highways, according to police.

Many motorists heading south for the long weekend slowed at the accident scene to ask if anyone was hurt.

As they were being waved on their way, police advised them to drive carefully.