Two people were airlifted by STARS air ambulance Sunday while Highway 53 east of Bashaw was closed for several hours after a pickup truck slid off the road in a mini snow blizzard.
“It was a single-vehicle rollover,” said Bashaw RCMP Sgt. Cameron Paul.
Six occupants — all from outside the Bashaw area — were in the vehicle that went out of control about five kilometres east of Bashaw at about 3:45 p.m., he said.
“Based on the road conditions, the young, inexperienced driver was driving too fast for weather and road conditions, although it was not over the posted speed limit,” Sgt. Paul said.
Alcohol was not a factor, he added.
“We had a mini snowstorm and they got caught it in,” Sgt. Paul said.
Traffic was re-routed as police closed the stretch of highway for six hours to initially allow the two helicopters from Alberta Shock Trauma Air Rescue Society to land, and then to continue the cleanup and investigation.
The four other occupants were taken to the Camrose hospital by Emergency Medical Services, with injuries ranging from “very minor to serious,” RCMP said.
Bashaw and District Fire Department assisted on the scene.
“We had to cut part of the truck to remove two occupants in the truck and patrol the area for the helicopter landing, and traffic control,” said Bashaw Fire Chief Ross Garbe.
With sudden changes in weather during winter, police remind motorists to be cautious and adjust to the road conditions.
“We had a number of motorists who did not adjust to conditions,” Sgt. Paul said.
“We even have drivers who travel at 110 kilometres per hour in any road conditions.”
Posted speed limits apply to only ideal weather and road conditions, he said.