Paul Bickford
Northern News Services

Paddle Prairie, Alta (Aug 24/05) - A shipment of mail heading to five NWT communities was destroyed early Wednesday morning in fiery traffic accident that left an Alberta man dead and a Hay River resident injured.

According to RCMP, a northbound transport truck carrying the mail and a southbound car collided head-on at about 12:30 a.m., Aug. 22, three km south of Paddle Prairie in Alberta on Highway 35. Paddle Prairie is about 380 km south of Hay River.

Staff Sgt. Lewis Kuntz of the High Level RCMP says the car's driver, a 55-year-old man from Paddle Prairie, died instantly.

The driver of the truck, a 43-year-old Hay River man, suffered burns and other injuries that aren't considered life-threatening.

The transport truck, which also carried groceries, burst into flames, possibly because of a ruptured fuel tank. The highway was closed for about eight hours as a result of the accident.

According to Canada Post, the mail was destined for Hay River, and from there to Fort Smith, Fort Resolution, Rae-Edzo and Fort Providence.

Canada Post advises residents of the affected communities who may have been expecting mail to contact the senders.