Carrot River, Sask., in shock after 3 teens die in crash
Car rear-ended by semi-trailer on Highway 6 Sunday, flag person critically injured
"The whole town is in a state of shock," Mayor Bob Gagne said.
The crash involved four vehicles at a road work site on Highway 6 at around 4:20 p.m. CST.
About five kilometres south of Spalding, the car the boys were in, a Chevy Cavalier, was stopped behind a pickup truck. According to RCMP the Cavalier was slammed from the behind by a semi-trailer.
The crashed killed the boys, aged 14, 15 and 17. The 17-year-old had been driving the car, RCMP said.
In a chain reaction, when the Cavalier was hit by the semi, the car hit the pickup, which then struck a construction vehicle (described by RCMP as a pilot vehicle) and a flag man who was working at the site.
The flag man was airlifted to hospital in Saskatoon with what were described as critical injuries. The driver of the semi and the pickup were taken to hospital in Melfort for treatment of minor injuries.
The boys all went to the same school in Carrot River, a town of about 1,000 people located 180 kilometres east of Prince Albert.
"You have to remember this is a small town," Gagne said. "These three boys, three young energetic go-getters, football players, drama, in the drama classes were very involved in the community and if you were not related to them, you knew them."
Highways minister offers condolences
The road crews on the site were working on a crack-sealing project, Highways Minister Nancy Heppner said Monday.
"Our thoughts are with the families and friends of the individuals who were involved in this tragic incident," Heppner said in a news release.
In the same release, the government said the crash highlights the need for extreme caution in construction zones on highways and roads.
There was no immediate word on what might have caused it. The collision is under investigation by the RCMP, the labour relations ministry and the highways ministry.
