Roads south of Beaumont reopened after pair of crashes during white-out conditions

Traffic was diverted from an area in Leduc County for several hours Monday after two serious crashes happened in the same area.

Motorists were able to travel on Highway 814 and Township Road 502 after they reopened after 3:30 p.m.

The highways were closed after two collisions happened in the area between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m., RCMP said.

The first accident involved a northbound pickup truck that collided head-on with a southbound SUV, approximately one mile (1.60 kilometres) south of the intersection of Highway 814 and Township Toad 502.

A 75-year-old man from Beaumont, Alta., who was driving the pickup truck, was treated by paramedics on scene but did not require further medical care.

According to RCMP, the 29-year-old woman driving the SUV was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Mounties say the second collision involved "responding emergency vehicles" but offered no further details other than that an ambulance was involved.

Three occupants inside the ambulance were taken to hospital as a precaution, police said.

CTV News Edmonton requested further information from RCMP. This article will be updated once police respond.

RCMP said "road conditions are believed to be a contributing factor."

BLIZZARD CONDITIONS PUMMELED DRIVERS

High wind and snowfall early Monday morning impacted visibility throughout the region. Mounties issued a road advisory saying, "Expect icy, blizzard conditions with lower visibility on roadways throughout the Edmonton area, and Highway 2 from Ponoka north to St. Albert."

A number of other collisions happened near the communities of Morinville, Redwater and Vegreville, and white-out conditions were reported near Hanna.

On westbound Highway 16, near Range Road 135 east of Vegreville, three semis with trailers and a car were involved in a pileup.

RCMP said only minor injuries were reported in that collision.

There, too, Mounties called roads "very icy" with low visibility, and several vehicles have become stuck in ditches along the highway.

"Vegreville RCMP advise travel in the area is not recommended and request motorists to avoid the area," police said in a statement at 1:45 p.m.

Traffic in the area was diverted while the scene was cleaned up.

More information is available online at 511 Alberta.