A Central Alberta driver escaped serious injury when his vehicle skidded across railway tracks on ice and was hit by a train.
The motorist from the Rimbey area saw the oncoming train at about 4 p.m. on Friday and tried to stop on Chubb Road before crossing the tracks, said Rimbey’s volunteer fire chief John Weisgerber.
“He was trying to stop, but wasn’t making it,” due to ice buildup on the gravel road at the rail intersection.
Fortunately, it was the rear of the car that was hit, not the cab.
The driver walked away from the crash and did not require any hospital treatment, said Weisgerber. “He escaped major injuries.”
Highway conditions near Rimbey continued to be precarious throughout Saturday, when a rain/snow mix and high winds made roads slick, said Weisgerber.
His fire crews responded to two other accidents on Saturday — both were single-vehicle rollovers on Hwy 20 that resulted in minor injuries. One of the accidents involved a mother and one-month-old baby, and the other involved an adult male. They were all treated in hospital and released, said Weisgerber.
He said icy conditions have since cleared up around Rimbey. But drivers should be aware that this week’s above-zero daytime temperatures and night-time freezing have the potential to create slick roads again — particularly if winds pick up.