Officials say that five players with a southern Alberta high school football team have been seriously hurt in a multi-vehicle crash near Raymond on Thursday evening.
Raymond RCMP, along with other emergency crews, responded to the scene of a three-vehicle crash at the intersection of Highway 5 and Highway 52 at about 5:45 p.m. on Thursday.
An initial investigation shows that a northbound white truck with a trailer crashed with a westbound truck entering Highway 52. The ensuing incident also involved a car that was driving southbound.
The westbound truck had five occupants and two were treated for minor injuries and taken to Lethbridge hospital while two others were taken to hospital in Calgary by STARS and one by EMS.
Two of those victims sustained serious non-life threatening injuries while a third is in serious life threatening condition.
The male driver and sole occupant of the northbound truck was treated for minor injuries and released while the female driver of the car was taken to Lethbridge hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
School officials have confirmed that the crash involved five players with the Raymond High School Comets.
It says that all of the players are from Magrath and at least three of the victims have been taken to hospital in Calgary for treatment.
Russ Barnett, mayor of the town of Magrath, has confirmed that the injured players are Nate Dick, Mason Stock, Garrett Stock, Jaxon Gruninger and Hale Ogden.
He says that Dick and Mason Stock both suffered head injuries and were taken by STARS to hospital in Calgary. Gruninger suffered a broken leg and neck and was taken to Calgary by EMS.
Ogden and Garrett Stock are in Lethbridge Hospital.
As a result, the team’s scheduled game against Catholic Central that was to take place at 5:00 p.m. will not take place.
The Westwind School Division No. 74 issued the following statement on social media about the incident:
We can confirm that a group of Westwind students were involved in a serious car collision near Raymond this evening. In these moments of uncertainty, our sole focus remains with supporting those injured and their families. We will provide more details as they become available.
— Westwind School Division (@wwsd74) October 12, 2018
Magrath High School also confirmed the crash on Thursday evening, saying that all the victims are from their community.
"In these moments of uncertainty, our sole focus remains with supporting those injured and their families. This is a heartbreaking and tragic accident, and we recognize that students and families from our school and community will be impacted by it. Counselling and support will be available for students at school tomorrow," officials wrote on the school's Facebook page.
The identities of the victims have not been released.
Raymond RCMP says the cause of the crash is under investigation.
More to come.
