Three people have been taken to hospital after a massive crash on Highway 1 in southwestern Manitoba, involving as many as 25 semi-trailer trucks and passenger vehicles.
Three people have been taken to hospital after a massive crash on Highway 1 in southwestern Manitoba, involving as many as 25 semi-trailer trucks and passenger vehicles.
The crash happened just before noon and closed the Trans-Canada Highway in both directions between Virden and Brandon, a spokesperson for the RCMP said.
About 15 semis and between five and 10 passenger vehicles were involved in what Cpl. Julie Courchaine described as “a huge collision.”
The three people taken to hospital suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
While police were asking people to avoid the area Thursday afternoon, the highway’s westbound and eastbound lanes from Brandon to Virden were reopened later that evening, according to two provincial alerts.
“We’re trying to get it cleared up, but it is going to take quite a bit of time to do that. We have tow trucks coming all the way from Winnipeg,” about 250 kilometres away, Courchaine said earlier in the day.
Road conditions were extremely icy at the time of the crash, she said.
Highway 1 in western Manitoba has been closed multiple times due to poor winter driving conditions since Tuesday.
On Thursday, the provincial highways department announced at 9:42 a.m. it had reopened the eastbound lanes from the Saskatchewan boundary to Highway 21, east of Virden.
Approximately three hours later, at 12:38 p.m., it announced the highway was closed between Brandon and the Saskatchewan border.
Hwy1 near virden,MB Multiple vehicles collision @MBGovRoads @DriveBC @OPP_NER @511Alberta @SKGovHwyHotline pic.twitter.com/TBBA383Khd
—@Baljitpadda3
Images of the crash shared by RCMP on social media and video shared with CBC News show multiple heavily damaged vehicles and debris strewn across the highway.
Several vehicles can be seen in the ditch.
A long line of vehicles, including several other semi trucks, stretched down the highway. There were hundreds of vehicles stuck on the highway due to the crash, Courchaine said.
WATCH | Pileup closes Trans-Canada Highway west of Brandon:
Pileup closes Trans-Canada Highway west of Brandon
20 semis and 5 passenger vehicles were involved in a series of collisions on an icy Trans-Canada Highway west of Brandon Thursday afternoon. 0:11
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