One Dead, Three Injured and 17-Year-Old Arrested in Manitoba Highway Crash

“It is time to realize this is about people making choices, and some of those choices have cost people their lives.”

A 17-year-old man from Winnipeg has been arrested after he caused a fatal crash on Monday which killed one man and injured three others.

Around 10:30 p.m. on Monday, RCMP officers were called to the crash site at the intersection of Highway 8 and Highway 230 in the RM of St. Andrews. The accident occurred between a pickup truck and an SUV.

After investigating, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has concluded that the 17-year-old driver of the SUV was travelling west on Highway 230 when he decided to enter the intersection unsafely and proceeded to collide with a pickup truck with a campus trailer, travelling north on Highway 8.

Following the crash, the pickup truck landed in a ditch with four passengers travelling inside. A 20-year-old man was pronounced dead at the scene. The other three passengers, a 44-year-old woman, a 46-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman were taken to the hospital, with one of the passengers suffering from critical injuries.

The 17-year-old man driving the SUV was the only individual in the vehicle and only sustained minor injuries. He has been arrested and is facing charges of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing bodily harm.   

More updates will be shared as the RCMP, collision investigation team, and forensic collision reconstructionist continue its investigation.

The RCMP and Winnipeg Police Service have been highlighting the importance of road safety because one simple second can drastically change many’s lives. In 2021, the RCMP responded to 71 fatal crashes with at least 26 people dead in 2022 in Mountie jurisdiction. In Winnipeg, 9 people have died in car crashes, with at least 6 so far in 2022.

 “Some of that has to do with increased traffic volumes, but it also reflects some of those seemingly small decisions motorists make that have a big impact on our roadways,” said Inspector Doug Roxburgh. “The decisions drivers make don’t just affect them. They can affect their passengers, other drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians.”

The Winnipeg Police service has shared that they are increasing enforcement and using more tools to combat high-risk driving behaviours, which includes automated license plate readers, mandatory alcohol screening and continued work by front-line traffic enforcement officers.