BOW VALLEY – Emergency services are busy responding to accidents on the Trans-Canada Highway, including a multi-vehicle accident west of Lake Louise earlier today, and another multi-vehicle crash east of Canmore.
RCMP say there were three tractor trailers involved, including one semi-trailer that caught on fire in the pileup that occurred in the eastbound lane about three kilometres west of Lake Louise.
“There was a tractor trailer that was travelling east when a second tractor trailer came up behind, I guess too quickly, and rear-ended the tractor trailer, and the second tractor trailer jack-knifed,” said Cpl Tammy Keibel of the RCMP K Division.
“Then a third eastbound tractor trailer unit struck the jack-knifed trailer, which is believed to be what caused the fire of the second jack-knifed trailer unit.”
In addition, an SUV landed in a snowbank trying to avoid crashing into the first two trucks involved in the pileup.
“It wasn’t in the accident, but had to take evasive action to avoid that collision,” said Cpl Keibel.
All three drivers of the three tractor trailer units and the two people in the SUV were uninjured.
The Trans-Canada Highway was closed, but has since reopened around 2:30 p.m. with eastbound traffic sharing the westbound lanes.
At one point, vehicles were being redirected to the Bow Valley Parkway, however, Alberta 511 advises eastbound traffic will be sharing westbound lanes, leading to congestion.
“Expect significant delays,” according to Alberta 511.
In Canmore, emergency crews are currently responding to reports of a multi-vehicle accident on the Trans-Canada Highway east of Canmore near the turn off to Three Sisters.
Initially, there were reports of pedestrians on the highway trying to warn drivers of the accident in the whiteout conditions.
This story will be updated as more information becomes known.
