Authorities say that one person has died after a serious crash on Highway 36 in southern Alberta that resulted in a significant leak of diesel fuel into the Bow River.
Police were called to the scene of Highway 36 and Range Road 160 at about 4:30 a.m. for reports of a two vehicle crash.
When they arrived, they found that a semi tractor-trailer and a truck had collided on the bridge over the Bow River near Scandia.
One person was killed at the scene and a second person was taken to hospital with minor non-life threatening injuries.
“RCMP in the Brooks area are presently investigating,” said Constable Patrick Lambert. “We’re working with other traffic units in the area.”
The tanker was not loaded at the time but diesel fuel from the cab ended up leaking into the river.
Booms are in place to contain the leak and the province has been notified about the incident.
“There is a cleanup underway not only to collect the fuel from the river but also to remove the semi trailers and vehicle off the bridge,” Lambert said.
It’s unknown how much fuel ended up in the water, but police say they are taking note of everything.
“As much as we’re there to ensure public safety, we’re also there understanding the environmental impacts when we respond to these types of collisions and investigations.”
Traffic was diverted for several hours to clear the truck and trailer from the bridge.
