LAC LA BICHE - A two-vehicle crash at the northern edge of Lac La Biche County on Tuesday closed down one of the two traffic lanes on Highway 881 as medical crews and police worked the scene, about 125 kilometres north of the Lac La Biche hamlet.
RCMP from the Janvier area managed traffic on the busy north-south roadway connecting Lac La Biche and Fort McMurray.
Wood Buffalo RCMP said no one was seriously injured in the collision which occurred just before noon, and just five kilometres from the northern edge of Lac La Biche County's municipal border and 20 kilometres from Conklin. The crash, on a bend in the road, sent the vehicles — an SUVs and a pickup truck — into the northbound ditch. Local ambulance crews were at the scene providing medical assistance.
Lac La Biche County Community Peace Officers were also dispatched to the crash. Lac La Biche County's Fire and Rescue Services; rapid-response unit was also dispatched, but was stood-down before reaching the crash. Lac La Biche RCMP were on another call near the Touchwood Lake Road at the time the crash, but were told Janvier police would be responding.
"They assisted with this collision due to their closer proximity, meaning response time could be much faster," Lac La Biche RCMP Const. Cassandra Calverley explained to the Lac La Biche POST newsroom." "We often work with other RCMP jurisdictions that we boarder to offer faster response or more officer presence as necessary."
Lac La Biche County peace officer and fire services rely on similar partnerships and communication with neighbouring services as well, but always respond as quickly as they can — until they are stood down. It's a matter of better safe than sorry, says Lac La Biche County's Protective Services Manager John Kokotilo, whether its a local call, or a long-distance call that involves more than an hour response time.
"We were stood down prior to our arrival," said Kokotilo explaining Tuesday's call. "There always that risk – but we do not have a “clear “ picture or assessment of what has happened until we arrive, or are informed by EMS, RCMP, or CPOs – so we still go."
Traffic was disrupted for about two hours as the scene was cleared.
