Accident at juncture of Highways 3 and 22 results in multiple injuries

Motor home involved in serious collision at junction of Highways 3 and 22
C. Davis and T. Lucas photos

Chris Davis, Pincher Creek Voice

An accident involving a motor home and a car at the junction of Highway 3 and Highway 22 resulted in 3 injuries, at least one of which is considered to be serious.

Car involved in serious collision at junction of Highways 3 and 22

Pincher Creek Emergency Services received a call at 11:50 am notifying them of the accident.  Pincher Creek Rescue immediately responded with an ambulance and Engine 14 responded from Lundbreck. STARS was put on alert.  According to Emergency Services Chief Dave Cox, "Once on scene we realised we had more people hurt, and we asked STARS to launch."

Due to the traffic congestion surrounding the scene Cowley Fire was called out to assist.  Cowley Fire Chief Jim Cisar assisted at the scene and his crew helped control traffic on Highway 22.  STARS was coincidentally in the Crowsnest Pass area, performing a patient transfer.  There was a Crowsnest Pass doctor aboard, and he was transported to the accident scene to assist.  A second ambulance was called from Pincher Creek due to the number of victims, and Piikani Emergency Services was asked to stand by in case there was need for their assistance with other potential calls in the area.

There were 4 individuals involved in the accident, two from each vehicle.  Emergency Services had to extract the passengers from both vehicles.  The passenger in the car was found to have serious injuries, and after being transported to Pincher Creek Hospital was then flown via STARS to Calgary.  STARS stopped to refuel at Pincher Creek Municipal Airport before making that trip.  The patient from Crowsnest Pass originally being transported by STARS was taken by ambulance to Pincher Creek Municipal Airport to be transported to Calgary via fixed-wing Air Ambulance.

According to Chief Cox the traffic on Highways 3 and 22 was regulated during the rescue operations, and traffic was intermittently stopped completely.

STARS arriving in Pincher Creek

Traffic volumes at that intersection are usually quite heavy on long weekends and today was no exception. Eastbound traffic on Highway 3 and to a lesser degree northbound traffic on Highway 22 was visibly quite busy.  Area residents say the traffic volume has been quite high in the area "even overnight".  Another driver reported that traffic was bumper to bumper as far west as Leitch Collieries shortly after the accident occurred.

Also attending the scene were RCMP members from Pincher Creek and Crowsnest Pass and a Sheriff.