FIELD, B.C. – A vehicle collision on the Trans-Canada Highway just west of Field sent two people to hospital on the weekend.
The crash between a semi-trailer and minivan occurred on the two-lane stretch of highway near the Emerald Lake turnoff on Sunday afternoon (April 9), closing the highway in both directions from about 1:30 p.m. until shortly before 3 p.m.
One person was taken to Mineral Springs Hospital in Banff while the other was airlifted by STARS air ambulance to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary.
“A male patient in his 30s was transported by STARS to Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary in serious but stable condition,” said Blake Robert, communications officer for STARS.
Const. Kat Robinson, media relations officer with Golden-Field RCMP, said there were two people in the minivan. The passenger sustained minor injuries, and the driver was initially trapped inside the vehicle, then transported by STARS in stable condition.
She said the driver of the semi-truck was uninjured.
"According to witness statements and evidence on the scene, the driver of the minivan caused the collision, and criminal charges are not being pursued," she said.
A 40-km stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway between Sherbrooke Creek and Yoho National Park’s western boundary is not twinned despite ongoing calls for the federal government to do so.
At least eight people died last year in five separate accidents on this stretch of highway.
According to Parks Canada, average daily traffic volumes in Yoho National Park reach almost 7,500 vehicles. Traffic volumes peak in July and August, growing to 10,000-15,000 daily vehicle trips. The forecast is summer volumes will exceed 23,000 per day by 2046.
