A driver in his 20s is dead and his two passengers are in hospital after a vehicle crashed into a snow-clearing front-end loader on the Disraeli Freeway Tuesday night.
Winnipeg police believe the four-door vehicle was attempting to overtake the large snow-removal machine and a pilot vehicle on the northbound span of the bridge at about 10:30 p.m.
It went out of control and slammed into the loader, which a City of Winnipeg spokesperson said belongs to a private contractor.
The speed limit on the bridge, which links the downtown core and Elmwood, is 60 km/h.
Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service members freed the driver and his front-seat passenger, a woman in her 20s, from the wreckage.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene; the woman was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The third person injured was a teenager in the back seat. Police said the teen was in unstable condition when being transported to hospital, but has since been upgraded to stable.
Police closed the bridge until about 6 a.m. Wednesday.
The fatal collision happened in the aftermath of several recent heavy snowfalls that blanketed the city.
Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free Press
The fatal collision happened in the aftermath of several recent heavy snowfalls that blanketed the city.
City officials have repeatedly warned drivers to slow down and use extreme caution around snow-removal equipment as crews continue to clear streets and sidewalks.
The police spokeswoman was not aware of any other serious collisions involving snow-clearing equipment recently.
After Tuesday’s crash, police reminded drivers to be careful when approaching heavy machinery.
"Simply slow down and keep a large gap between yourself and heavy snow-clearing equipment," Winnipeg Police Service spokeswoman Const. Dani McKinnon wrote in an email. "Choose an alternate route if/when this is possible."
Earlier this week, Coun. Janice Lukes said the city was running out of places to "store" snow in some neighbourhoods.
Crews didn’t have enough time to clear snowbanks before the second of back-to-back storms hit, Lukes (Waverley West) said, urging drivers to be cautious while crews work to get rid of piles of snow.
"These are huge machines and people need to keep their distance," she said.
A list of safety tips on the city’s website advises motorists to drive to the winter conditions, be patient and stay at least 15 metres, or about three car lengths, back from equipment.
The WPS traffic division is investigating the fatal crash and potential factors such as speed. Anyone with information is asked to call 204-986-7085.
chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca
Twitter: @chriskitching
