Accident claims life

Ron Ukrainetz was driving this 2004 Ford F-150, but he suffered no injuries.

Mac Olsen
South Peace News

One person is dead following an accident between a 2004 Ford F-150 pickup and a compact Chevy Blazer on the bridge near the East Prairie Settlement turnoff Dec. 30. Paul William Gardiner, 38, was a passenger in the Blazer and he died in the collision. He was not wearing his seatbelt, says RCMP S/Sgt. Stephen Daley. George Belcourt, 40, the driver, was transported to the hospital in High Prairie with non-life threatening injuries. Ron Ukrainetz was driving the pickup, but he did not suffer any injuries. He was examined and released at the scene. There were no witnesses. The accident occurred at 4:45 p.m. Two RCMP vehicles, several emergency vehicles from High Prairie, plus Enilda’s fire truck responded within minutes. The road at both ends of the bridge was cordoned off for four hours while the investigation was conducted. This resulted in traffic being backed up for several miles in both directions. Daley says the bridge was icy and both vehicles lost control. The rear end of the F-150 hit the front end of the Blazer. The RCMP continues to investigate the accident, but the preliminary findings indicate that the road conditions may have been the contributing factor, says Daley. He reminds the public to be cautious in all weather conditions. “The big thing is to drive according to the season and the weather,” says S/Sgt. Daley. “Be cautious of those situations when coming from roads onto bridge surfaces.” A single vehicle accident occurred on the same bridge on July 16, 2007. Two children, a seven-year-old female and a 12-year-old male, died in the accident, while the female driver and another female passenger suffered non-life threatening injuries.

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