REDWATER, Alta. — A teenage girl died Wednesday after a collision between a school bus and a semi truck north of Edmonton.
Police and paramedics responded to the crash that happened around 8 a.m. in Thorhild County near Redwater.
“EMS pronounced one teenage female deceased at the scene,” said Kirsten Goruk, a spokeswoman for Alberta Health Services in Edmonton.
Fourteen patients were assessed by paramedics and no one else was transported to hospital, she said.
An air ambulance was called around 8:15 a.m., but was stood down by emergency crews.
The bus driver was on his way to Thorhild Central School with 13 students at the time of the collision.
“We grieve this immeasurable loss with the student’s family, loved ones and the entire Thorhild Central School community,” Aspen View Public Schools Superintendent Mark Francis said in a news release. “We pledge our ongoing support to all those affected by today’s tragedy.”
Counselling services are being made available to all staff and students, said school officials.
Police said they were still investigating the collision at the scene.
“There was some fog that was reported,” said Cpl. Ronald Bumbry of the RCMP. “We are still looking at all the factors contributing to this collision. It’s very early on.”
Motorists were being asked to avoid the area.