News briefs for Monday, April 3, 2023

Trans-Canada Highway reopened, Hwy. 3 closed

10:16 AM

Highway No. 1, from the Saskatchewan border to Hwy. 352, has been now reopened, the province announced in a news release. The closure was due to poor driving conditions.

However, Hwy. 3, from Hwy. 14 to Hwy 23, is now closed, the province said, owing to icy conditions.

Driver in fatal collision arrested

12:05 PM

The driver of a vehicle that hit a tree, killing a passenger, has been arrested.

Winnipeg police said on Monday Christian Grant Patchinose, 28, was arrested more than a week ago on March 24, at a residence in the William Whyte area.

Patchinose has been charged with dangerous operation of a vehicle causing death and bodily harm, and other charges of impaired driving. He has been detained in custody.

Police had attempted to stop a SUV on May 30, 2022, at about 12:45 a.m. Officers later found the vehicle had collided with a tree and both Patchinose and a 16-year-old female passenger were rushed to hospital in unstable condition, while a 22-year-old female passenger was taken in critical condition and later died of her injuries, .

Police issued an arrest warrant for Patchinose on Jan. 24, but later asked the public for help when they couldn’t find him.

Police thanked the public for their assistance.

Thompson RCMP search for missing teen

2:10 PM

RCMP are searching for a Thompson teen reported missing in March.

Wilfred “Willy” Spence, 16, was reported missing to Mounties on March 18. He was active on social media and police followed leads to try to find him but weren’t successful, RCMP said.

He’s 4-9 about 143 lbs with black hair and brown eyes. Mounties think he might be trying to evade police, but officers need to confirm his wellbeing, RCMP said.

They ask anyone with information on his whereabouts to call the Thompson detachment at 204-677-6909 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.

Woman found dead in burning home

3:10 PM

A young woman is dead after a fire in Tataskweyak Cree Nation.

RCMP were sent to a house on fire on Airport Road in the community, which is also known as Split Lake, at 11:05 p.m. Sunday.

Crews entered the home after extinguishing the fire and found a 25-year-old woman, who was pronounced dead.

RCMP, along with fire officials, are investigating.

Semi-truck driver dies in collision off ice-covered highway: RCMP

4:25 PM

A 47-year-old truck driver from Winnipeg has died after a collision in a ditch off of ice-covered Highway 3 Monday morning.

The southbound semi-truck driver lost control and hit the ditch on the highway about two kilometres north of Highway 14 at around 9:30 a.m., RCMP said.

The driver then got out of his vehicle and was standing on its passenger side, when a deck truck also lost control on the icy highway and hit the ditch, striking the 47-year-old, RCMP said.

The man was taken to hospital where he later died. The other driver, a 37-year-old man, wasn’t hurt. Local RCMP and a forensic collision reconstructionist are still investigating.