At about 12:30 p.m. Sunday, Innisfail RCMP and Red Deer Emergency Services were dispatched to a two-vehicle collision in the northbound lanes of the Hwy 2 just south of Red Deer.
Police say several witnesses observed a vehicle merging onto Hwy 2 in an unsafe manner, causing another vehicle to lose control and strike the center cable barrier.
Five occupants from the vehicle that struck the barrier were transported to hospital with non life-threatening injuries.
The second vehicle, however, fled the scene prior to emergency crews arriving.
As a result of further investigation, police located and charged a 33-year-old man from Blackfalds. He faces charges of careless driving, failing to remain at the scene of an accident and driving while unauthorized.
The northbound lanes of Hwy 2 were limited to a single lane for about one hour, causing traffic delays.