A 20-year-old man from Ontario was killed and a teenage passenger suffered life-threatening injuries following a head-on collision involving a semi-trailer on Highway 59 south of Winnipeg early Wednesday morning, according to RCMP.
Emergency crews were called to the scene shortly before 12:30 a.m. near Prefontaine Road, approximately 20 kilometers south of Winnipeg, after reports of a serious crash involving a passenger vehicle and a semi-truck.
Investigators said a northbound vehicle carrying two occupants crossed the center line and entered the path of a southbound semi-trailer. The two vehicles collided head-on, causing both to leave the roadway and come to rest in a ditch.
The driver of the passenger vehicle, a 20-year-old Ontario man, was pronounced dead at the scene. Authorities have not yet publicly released his identity pending notification of family members.
A 13-year-old boy from Steinbach, Manitoba, who was riding in the vehicle, sustained critical injuries in the crash. He was airlifted to a Winnipeg hospital for emergency treatment and remains under medical care.
The driver of the semi-trailer, a 45-year-old man from Alberta, was not injured in the collision, police said.
The crash resulted in the closure of a stretch of Highway 59 for several hours as investigators documented the scene, gathered evidence, and worked to remove the damaged vehicles. Traffic was diverted while emergency personnel conducted their investigation.
RCMP continue to examine the circumstances that led to the fatal collision, including why the northbound vehicle crossed into the opposite lane. No further details have been released at this time.
The tragedy has left family members and loved ones mourning the loss of a young man while hoping for the recovery of the injured teenager. Authorities are expected to provide additional information as the investigation progresses.
