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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Slick streets, speed a bad mix

After several city collisions, MPI advises slower driving

By: Sarah Petz

Posted: 12/29/2012 3:22 AM | Comments: 0

An RCMP member documents the scene of a rollover on the Trans Canada West of Winnipeg Friday morning. At least one was taken to hospital. Icy roads were an issue as warmer temps eased frost out of frozen roads (PHIL HOSSACK / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS) Photo Store

Slow down, speed demons.

Winnipeg roads were the scene of several collisions Friday as icy roads caused problems for drivers throughout the day.

The worst of the collisions happened about 8 a.m., when a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle near the intersection of Portage Avenue and Sherbrook Street.

Ashley Klassen said she came upon the accident while walking down Portage on her way to work Friday morning.

"I saw this lady lying on the ground and this man was standing by her feet.

"I went to find out what happened and he said he had hit her with his truck," she said.

The woman appeared disorientated but was able to talk and asked for her phone, Klassen said.

"She was pretty much just asking for her son, but couldn't work her phone at the time.

"I kept putting my mitts back on her to try and keep her hands warm," she said.

"I don't think he would have been going very hard, just hard enough for her to fall down and hit her head."

The woman was taken to hospital in stable condition.

Nobody was injured in two rollovers Friday morning. An SUV flipped on its side after a two-vehicle collision just before 7 a.m. on the Perimeter Highway. Not long after, a rollover occurred near the intersection of Lagimodiere Boulevard and Maginot Street.

As of 3 p.m. Friday, Manitoba Public Insurance had received 788 Autopac claims in Manitoba, with 592 from Winnipeg alone.

At this pace, MPI expected to see a slight bump in claims processed by the end of the day compared with last Friday, MPI spokesman Brian Smiley said.

"Probably several hundred of these collisions in Winnipeg could be directly attributed to the slick roads," he said.

"It was a little bit slick out there. People were travelling probably a little too fast for the road conditions.

Smiley advised drivers to slow down and make sure to leave extra distance between themselves and vehicles ahead of them when driving in winter weather.

"Whether it's slick roads, fog or heavy snow, that's always the prime message: to slow down, drive to road conditions."

Last Friday, MPI received a total of 931 claims for motor vehicle accidents in Manitoba.

sarah.petz@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 29, 2012 A4

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