Icy conditions cause numerous accidents
At least 15 vehicles hit the ditch, collide after slippery day on Highway 3
Evan Kiyoshi French
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, February 11, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
There were at least six collisions and nine vehicles hitting the ditch on Highway 3 between Behchoko and Fort Providence on Monday.
Road conditions were icy and there was a lot of ice fog in the area, but most of the accidents were due to people driving too fast for the conditions, said RCMP Const. Elenore Sturko.
"It wasn't so much that the road was so bad, as people were not driving very well," she said.
"People are driving too fast for the conditions."
A failure to slow down in anticipation of a curve in the road is how vehicles are ending up in the ditch, said Sturko.
"Even if the speed limit was posted at 50 and you're driving at 60 that would be too fast. When you have significant blowing snow and ice fog it's hard to see tail lights."
One man was transported to hospital by ambulance after his pick-up truck slid into the back of a tractor trailer near Behchoko, according to Sturko.
Sturko said Cpl. Kirk Hughes, of the RCMP's Behchoko detachment, told her several more vehicles were pulled from ditches along the road which weren't necessarily reported to police.
"He saw several tractor trailers pulling vehicles from the ditch," she said.
Chris Mitchell, manager at the Big River Service Station in Fort Providence, said he spoke to a driver who had driven along the highway that day who couldn't make sense of the all the collisions.
"I talked to one truck driver and he said the section was the best on the whole road," he said.
Laurie Nielson, office manager for DJ's Towing in Yellowknife, said the tow company rescued at least one vehicle from a ditch along the road on Monday, and was set to help a ditched tractor trailer on Tuesday.
"We'll take a loader unit and a recovery unit and give him a tug," she said.
She said the company responded to multiple broken-down vehicles near Fort Providence.
"The road conditions, they're slick," she said. "With the extreme cold that we've had it makes that thin layer of ice underneath (the snow). It's extremely busy in town as well."
Megan Holsapple, a Department of Transportation spokesperson, said the road was sanded, graded and plowed all day Monday and into the night.
"And the day before, and the day before, and again today (Tuesday)," she said. "People need to drive more slowly and pay attention to the drivers around them."
Sturko said the winter roads are full of truck traffic and drivers need to be ready for the worst.
"People need to be prepared. If they have a mechanical failure or hit the ditch they might be there for hours," she said.
"Not everyone can call on the phone. There's people that I know that don't even have a coat when they drive. They make sure they have cigarettes and music but they don't make sure that they have a coat or boots.
"If you go in the ditch without winter boots, you're screwed."
Sturko said she couldn't provide an update on the condition of the injured man.
How to be prepared for winter driving
- Stock up on cold weather items such as winter clothing and sleeping bags
- Carry food and water
- Keep emergency candles and matches in your vehicle
- Keep your vehicle and snowmobile properly maintained
- Become familiar with the route you will travel on
- Listen to the weather forecast before you leave
- Inform someone of your travel plans: where you are going and when you plan to return
- Learn survival skills
- Carry a satellite phone, spot device or other means of communication
Source: Yellowknife RCMP
