Impaired driving charges laid in deadly crash east of Edmonton: RCMP

A man is facing multiple impaired driving-related charges after a two-vehicle collision east of Edmonton last September.

Just after 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 17, 2024, RCMP officers in Strathcona County and emergency crews responded to a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Range Road 214 and Township Road 554 in Strathcona County, said police in a news release Thursday.

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After a lengthy investigation, officers determined that a truck was travelling west on Township Road 554 when it collided with a car travelling north on Range Road 214 that resulted in the death of a 65-year-old man from Gunn.

“In this particular case, we believe we have a vehicle that was operating in excess of the speed limit and ran a stop sign, t-boning the vehicle that the deceased person was operating,” said Alberta RCMP Cpl.. Troy Savinkoff in an interview with Postmedia on Thursday.

Earlier this month, Strathcona RCMP charged Kevin Jones, 42 of Spruce Grove with operation while impaired of a motor vehicle causing death, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and operation while impaired.

Jones is slated to appear in court in Sherwood Park on May 28.

Meanwhile, Leduc RCMP are investigating a two-vehicle collision in Leduc County on Tuesday night.

Shortly after 8:30 p.m. officers responded to a crash between a Kia Forte and Hyundai Santa Fe on Highway 21 at Township 502.

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When officers arrived, they found two occupants of the Kia Forte dead on scene.

Savinkoff said the two victims have been identified as a 33-year-old man from North Battleford, Sask., and a 73-year-old woman from Camrose.

“It was a very serious head-on collision,” said Savinkoff.

“Upon arrival, officers found both occupants of the Kia Forte deceased, and the driver of the Santa Fe was transported to hospital with serious injuries.”

Savinkoff said police are investigating and they believe that impairment was a contributing factor to the collision. Officers are investigating the female driver of the Santa Fe.

“On average in the province of Alberta in the RCMP jurisdiction, 250 die every year on our highways. Of those 250 people that die, 30 per cent of those people killed will have impaired driving or alcohol as a contributing factor to that collision,” said Savinkoff.

“That disparity between those two statistics show that impaired driving is a large contributing factor to collisions. In fact, impaired driving causing death is the No.1 criminal cause of death in Canada. That means more people are killed by drunk drivers than are murdered in this country.

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“Many people’s lives are impacted by impaired driving. It needs to be taken seriously and there is no place for it in society.”

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