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Three people have died after a fatal crash closed Highway 28 on Thursday afternoon, north of Gibbons, Alta. according to a spokesperson for Sturgeon County.
The highway was reopened on Friday morning, hours after RCMP closed the road in both directions to investigate the crash.
In a news release, the RCMP said officers were called to a collision on Highway 28 between Range Road 233 and Highway 28A on Thursday afternoon. Traffic was rerouted through the town, located about 35 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.
“It’s an incredible tragedy, but it also hits home for the people that live in the town of Gibbons,” said Tim Duhamel, interim chief administrative officer for the town.
He noted that incidents like this happen “way too often” on Highway 28.
Const. Sandra Geiger, an RCMP public information officer, told CBC News there were two vehicles involved and that there was at least one fatality. An investigation is ongoing.
In a statement to CBC News, a Sturgeon County spokesperson said “the motor vehicle collision involved an SUV and a semi-truck. All three passengers of the SUV were deceased on impact.”
Duhamel said he believes the Highway 28 corridor is dangerous, and that he, like many others, is always thinking of his family members when they drive on it.
“I’ve driven on those roads for years myself and there’s days, especially in the wintertime, where the word ‘white-knuckling’ kind of comes to mind,” he said.
“In a situation where you have large semi trucks on a commuter road right beside you and going at high speeds, it can be a little bit nerve-wracking.”
He added that many local elected officials and residents wanted to expand or twin the highway, especially because of “the success that we’ve seen in this area from an industrial perspective.”
“When we start looking at the kind of money that you bring in from a taxation perspective … for the provincial level of government, and the municipal level of government, I guess it’s time to invest in our roads to keep us safe,” he said.
CBC News asked Alberta’s Ministry of Transportation for comment but did not receive a statement by the time of publication.