RCMP east of Edmonton said heavy fog and poor visibility contributed to a crash that forced the shutdown of a section of Highway 16 early Tuesday morning.

Strathcona County RCMP said officers and emergency crews were called to a serious collision on Highway 16, at Range Road 212 at about 4:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Police said a van, being driven by a 53-year-old Ardrossan man, was heading southbound on the Range Road, when it collided with a semi-tractor trailer unit being driven by a 39-year-old Vermilion man.

It’s believed that due to heavy fog in the area at the time, the driver of the van couldn’t see the stop sign at the intersection, and drove into traffic.

In addition, the semi was hauling to trailers, one was carrying insulation, the other hauling cases of beer – the driver couldn’t avoid the collision, jack-knifed then flipped on its side, blocking eastbound lanes of traffic.

Both drivers suffered serious, but non-life threatening injuries and were taken to hospitals in Edmonton for treatment.

The roadway was closed for several hours for the investigation and to allow crews to clean up the mess – one of the eastbound lanes was reopened just before 10 a.m., the second was expected to reopen later that morning.