Collisions pile up as poor weather renders roads unsafe

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This article was published 18/01/2025 (243 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Blizzard-like conditions across southern Manitoba created hazardous road conditions on Friday, resulting in mounting collisions — both within Brandon and on surrounding highways.

High winds, blowing snow, and icy roads created treacherous driving conditions, prompting Manitoba Transportation and Infrastructure (MTI) to issue several warnings advising drivers against unnecessary travel, including an emergency alert issued shortly before 12:15 p.m. Friday, advising motorists to avoid all travel in southern Manitoba.

RCMP detachments across the region saw a high volumes of collisions being reported, RCMP Sgt. Paul Manaigre said.

“As of 12:50 p.m., close to 40 collisions had been reported on highways in southern Manitoba,” he told the Sun. “Visibility is extremely reduced, and it puts our officers in danger when they are called to rescue someone.”

One woman was rushed to hospital in critical condition. She’d been hit after getting out of her vehicle following a pileup on Fermor Avenue near Plessis Road (in Winnipeg), Manaigre said.

Manaigre urged residents to consult Manitoba’s 511 service for up-to-date road conditions and to stay off the roads entirely unless travel was “absolutely essential.”

Tow truck operators in Brandon also reported receiving numerous calls.

Friday was “crazy,” Full Tilt Towing & Transport operations manager Daniel Kauenhofen said.

“Lots of people are sliding into the ditches. It’s been a crazy day with rescuing people,” he said. “We’ve handled 20 or more calls, mostly outside the city, on the highways. There are many we can’t even get to because roads are closed.”

Kauenhofen emphasized the need for drivers to heed weather warnings and avoid travel.

“The best thing to do is just stay home. If it’s not life or death, don’t go out. It’s not worth risking your life,” he said.

For On the Move Logistics Towing and Recovery, the calls did not stop coming in, as of Friday afternoon, dispatcher Nikki Champagne told the Sun.

“In town, there’s been about five accidents, but outside the city, we’ve had roughly 30 people call to be winched out of ditches,” she said. “People can’t see anything with the blowing snow. Every time it snows, it’s always like this.”

An MTI press release issued on Friday also shared updates on road conditions. “Visibility is near zero in certain areas, with multiple highways being closed, including the Perimeter Highway in Winnipeg.”

“Priority on the roadways needs to be given to emergency vehicles as there have been a high number of accidents, which is currently challenging Manitoba’s emergency response teams,” it added.

The press release also reminded motorists that travelling on closed roads is illegal and could result in fines. Residents were advised to check Manitoba 511 at www.manitoba511.ca for the latest updates, though MTI cautioned that conditions could change rapidly.

In addition to hazardous road conditions across southern Manitoba, Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) also faced disruptions in services on Friday due to the poor weather conditions.

The service centre in Brandon remained open for regular business hours, but all road tests across southern Manitoba, including Brandon, were cancelled, the corporation’s public relations lead Tara Seel told the Sun on Friday.

“The affected customers, including those in Brandon, have been contacted to reschedule their appointments,” Seel stated. “The situation continues to evolve, with the weather advisory was expected to last until 8 p.m. on Friday.

Southern Manitoba is forecast to plunge into a deep freeze over the weekend, with a low of -25 C overnight into Saturday and a wind chill making it feel closer to -36 C.

» aodutola@brandonsun.com, with files from the Winnipeg Free Press

» X: @AbiolaOdutola