Accident – death – Obituary News :

Alcohol and Road Conditions Ruled Out as Possible Cause of Deadly Crash South of Carstairs, Say RCMP

The tragic incident involving a single-vehicle rollover south of Carstairs on Wednesday afternoon claimed the lives of two teenagers from Didsbury, who were both students at Didsbury High School. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have ruled out alcohol and road conditions as potential causes of the crash.

On December 27th, at around 5 p.m., the Didsbury RCMP received a report of a collision at the intersection of Township Road 292 and Range Road 14 in Mountain View County. Upon arrival, emergency responders discovered the bodies of a 16-year-old male and a 14-year-old female, both residents of Didsbury.

RCMP Cpl. Troy Savinkoff confirmed that the deceased individuals were not related. The loss of these two students has deeply saddened the Chinook’s Edge School Division (CESD). CESD Superintendent Kurt Sacher expressed his condolences and stated that the students were well-connected within the Didsbury High School community.

The school and division will provide grief counseling and mental health support to students who need it. Additional resources will also be made available from a family school wellness perspective. Sacher urged families and students to seek help from organizations like the Kids Help Line and other mental health support services in the community.

The specific grade levels of the deceased students were not disclosed by Sacher. Regarding any potential ceremony to honor the students once classes resume in early January, Sacher stated that it is typically handled by the community and not the school or division.

The vehicle involved in the crash was a pickup truck. While the investigation is ongoing, the RCMP have ruled out speed and alcohol as contributing factors to the incident. Additionally, road conditions were deemed to be fine at the time of the crash.

The investigation will focus on examining the roadway, including skid marks, to determine the vehicle’s speed and the factors leading to the rollover. Both the male and female occupants were not wearing seatbelts, as determined by investigators at the scene. Cpl. Savinkoff expressed regret that they were not utilizing this important safety measure.

Emphasizing the importance of wearing seatbelts, Cpl. Savinkoff highlighted their effectiveness in preventing injuries, particularly in single-vehicle rollover collisions.

.