WANDERING RIVER, Alta. - Six people are dead and three seriously injured in a fiery, head-on collision between two pickup trucks on one of the deadliest highways in Alberta.
RCMP have confirmed six people are dead and three others seriously injured after what's being called a horrific crash on Highway 63 north of Wandering River on Friday.
An initial investigation indicates that a northbound pick-up truck, carrying three occupants, pulled out to pass another vehicle, and then collided head-on with a southbound pick-up truck which was carrying six occupants.
Two of those killed were traveling in the northbound truck, with the injured teenaged female, who was reported to be pulled from a burning vehicle by passing motorists prior to emergency crews arriving on scene.
The injured have been air-lifted to Edmonton-area hospitals. Information on the deceased is not available at this time, however investigators say that a 34 year-old man, a girl in her teens, and a young boy are among those injured. The extent of their injuries is unknown at this time.
RCMP have closed the highway from marker 90 to marker 95 and traffic is being rerouted to Highway 881.
Police say blowing snow and low visibility make travel on the Highway 63 poor and travel is not recommended in the area.
Highway 63, a busy route stretching north of Edmonton to Fort McMurray, is considered one of the deadliest in Alberta.
Two years ago, volunteer firefighters from Wandering River stopped responding to accidents on the highway because they found the work overwhelming.
In 2011, the provincial government and Athabasca County invested $1.3 million to hire more emergency responders to cover the route.
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