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One person is dead after being hit by a truck and trailer on Deerfoot Trail on Tuesday afternoon, Calgary police said.
Officers responded to reports of a person struck by a vehicle along northbound Deerfoot Trail and 17th Avenue S.E. just after 1 p.m.
Upon arrival, one person was pronounced dead at the scene.
It appears the victim had pulled over to the righthand shoulder to change a flat tire on their truck, when they were struck by another truck and trailer changing lanes to exit the roadway, said Traffic Unit Staff Sgt. Andy Woodward.
“Early indications would indicate that the offending vehicle was in the process of changing lanes and we believe was probably looking to come off the Deerfoot at the 17th Avenue turn off,” he told CBC News.
Woodward said the driver of the offending vehicle stayed on scene and was “fully co-operative” with police. No charges have been laid so far.
Breaking down and being forced to pull over on a busy thoroughfare like Deerfoot poses risks for drivers and pedestrians, Woodward explained.
“There’s a lot of concern for other motorists and obviously for the person who’s broken down, because the hard shoulder itself, as we know, is nowhere near as big as a lane on the carriageway,” he said.
“Nine times out of 10, if somebody is looking to change a wheel on the driver’s side of the vehicle then they are going to be exposed to the lane that’s actually on the carriageway itself.”
He added if someone does have to pull over, the best course of action is to try to pull over to the other side of the metal barriers along the road.
Drivers can also call police for assistance if they plan to change a tire on site, Woodward said. They will send an available unit to provide backup and visibility for the driver, he said.