The southbound lanes of the QEII Highway near Innisfail were closed overnight following a serious collision.

It happened just after 11:00 PM. RCMP say a semi-truck was heading south when it collided with a tow truck that was stopped on the side of the road. The Tow truck driver was assisting a broken down vehicle at the time.

The collision caused the semi-truck to catch fire. Tragically the 62-year-old driver of the semi was unable to exit the vehicle and he was declared deceased on scene. STARS Air Ambulance was called in to assist RCMP from Innisfail and Blackfalds.

The tow truck driver was out of his vehicle at the time of the collision. While the tow truck suffered extreme damage, the driver of the truck and the driver of the broken down vehicle were not injured.

RCMP collision analysts have been working throughout the night conducting an examination of the scene in an effort to determine what led to the collision.

Traffic was diverted throughout the early morning while the RCMP analyst worked and crews worked to remove the collision debris. Traffic is moving slowly and as of 9:15 Thursday morning, RCMP said one southbound lane of the QEII remained closed, but it is anticipated that all lanes will be opened shortly.

 

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