'Skating rink-type roads' blamed in multi-vehicle crash on Winnipeg's south Perimeter

Winnipeg's south Perimeter Highway was closed in both directions for about two hours on Tuesday morning due to multi-vehicle crash blamed on icy conditions.

The first crash was first reported just after 7 a.m. and it was followed by several others, with about six vehicles involved in all, police said.

One person was sent to hospital as a precaution, police said.

The roads were reopened shortly after 9 a.m.

The impacts were mostly minor, as approaching vehicles slowed down, but drivers discovered they couldn't stop in time due to "skating rink-type roads" that kept them sliding, a police spokesperson said.

A rainy Monday, combined with below-freezing temperatures overnight, left much of the city covered in a slick layer of frost on Tuesday morning.

The crash mostly affected the westbound lanes, between Pembina Highway and St. Mary's Road, but the eastbound lanes were also closed for emergency vehicle access and to allow city crews to sand the slippery sections.

"It's a good time to remind drivers, when you're going over a bridge at these temperatures, when it's close to zero, that air moving under the bridge is going to create some really bad icing," said Const. Steve Spencer.

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