A four-vehicle collision on Highway 16, 30 kilometres east of Jasper early Wednesday (Aug. 5) evening has claimed the life of Edmonton woman Linda Michayluk and left others seriously injured.

At about 6 p.m. a small red pickup truck heading towards Jasper drifted into the oncoming lane, hitting a Ford Explorer SUV and swerving back into the westbound lane where it hit a Nissan, trying to avoid the first collision, head on.
A fourth vehicle was also involved, swerving out of the way of the chaos and ending up in the ditch with minor damage.

Broken glass and twisted metal were strewn across the highway near Jasper Lake.

According to RCMP, alcohol is believed to have played a role in the crash. A red pickup was seen driving erratically before the accident by an off-duty police officer from Halifax.

“She was able to witness some of the driving this person was doing. So if they weren’t impaired – the driver of the red truck – then there’s definitely enough evidence there for dangerous driving causing death,” said Jasper RCMP Sgt. Dave Maludzinski.

According to the RCMP, the off-duty officer tried contacting the Jasper RCMP before the accident actually happened to report the bad driver, but lost cell reception, as is common on the stretch of highway.

Police, firefighters and paramedics from Hinton and Jasper responded to the accident, arriving about fifteen minutes after the crash. In the meantime, off-duty officials such as the Halifax police officer, nurses, an off-duty Hinton firefighter and other by-standers did their best to assist the victims.

The driver of the red pickup and the two people in the Nissan suffered the most serious injuries, and Maludzinski said the passenger, Michayluk, took the main force of the collision.

“The red truck, after having the impact (of hitting the first vehicle), bounces out in that direction and clocks the Nissan almost directly in the front, but more so to the passenger side of the Nissan, causing terrible, extensive damage to both of them and as a result the female passenger of the Nissan died,” he said.

All three victims, along with at least two more from the SUV in the first collision were taken to Jasper and Hinton hospitals.

Maludzinski said it was helpful that so many people who had medical and police experience were at the scene before the police, firefighters and paramedics showed up, and that it makes it easier for the investigation, but also said that it should have never happened in the first place.

“Unfortunately that poor lady died as a result of it. It shouldn’t have happened at all. She was an innocent victim in this whole thing, and that’s the most unfortunate thing about it.”

Due to the severity of the accident, the highway was closed for both east and west bound lanes until 1:30 a.m., leaving many travelers stranded on the road with no cell phone reception. Those stuck behind the crash were told to find a hotel or make the detour back through Rocky Mountain House.