'We're terrified': Man who survived crash at Oakbank intersection heartbroken by latest fatality

A man who survived a crash at the same Manitoba highway intersection where a 24-year-old man died this week is urging the province to make it safer.

"When you have a history of major accidents at one particular spot where there's severe accidents and deaths, you have to do something. You can't just wait," said Dan Wischnewski.

On Tuesday, a 24-year-old man was pronounced dead after a two-vehicle crash where Garven Road (Highway 213) crosses with Highway 206, just northeast of Winnipeg in Oakbank.

An 18-year-old woman in the other vehicle was rushed to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Back in May, Wischnewski's SUV was hit by a pickup truck one going 100 km/h at the same spot. The truck was travelling on Garven, which has a stop sign, while Wischnewski was on Highway 206, which has the right of way.

RCMP at the time said the impact of the crash caused Wischnewski​​​​​​'s SUV to roll off the road, trapping him inside. Specialized equipment had to be used to extract him from the wreck.

"It took them 70 minutes to get me out because I was so wedged in there," Wischnewski said.

He suffered a brain bleed, two broken hips, broken ribs, a broken shoulder, a punctured lung and a severed spleen.

He was in a wheelchair for a few months and is still using canes to walk as he faces another year of recovery with more surgeries.

"I'm lucky to be alive. I'm lucky that I wasn't permanently disabled," Wischnewski said.

The 22-year-old man and 18-year-old man, who were in the truck, suffered minor injuries, according to RCMP at the time.

Wischnewski immediately lobbied the government for changes at the crossroads, which resulted in rumble strips being installed in the pavement as vehicles approach the stop sign.

As well, lights were installed over the stop sign to make it more obvious.

"It was a great quick fix but it was a Band-Aid more than anything," said Wischnewski, whose crash happened at 11 a.m. when there was plenty of light outside to see the stop sign.

"Really, what I wanted was something significant done, whether it was to put actual lights stands there or a roundabout. Unfortunately, it wasn't done," he said.

"I'm not laying blame on anyone whatsoever, I mean people took action right away so I have respect for that."

But Tuesday's collision shows more needs to be done, Wischnewski said.

"The fact that a young kid lost his life, it just devastated me. I'm thinking about [how] it could have been me but more so, it was a young guy," he said. "It just broke my heart.

"And we need to keep in mind the young girl that was only 18, that was in this wreck. I can only imagine what she's going through, too."

There have been so many crashes there that people in Oakbank try to avoid the intersection as much as possible, Wischnewski said, adding he worries for his two stepdaughters who are in their 20s.

"We're terrified. Whenever there are sirens going off, the first thing we do is we call our family members and say 'are you OK? Where are you right now?'" he said.

"Everyone is thinking, 'oh it's another one on Garven.'"

The intersection has been the site of eight collisions in the last three years, RCMP said. In addition to Tuesday's fatality, there have been two collisions where serious injury was sustained and five crashes involving minor injury or property damage.

There have been no other fatalities at the intersection in at least 10 years, police said.

Earlier this week, Wischnewski emailed Ron Schuler, Manitoba's minister of infrastructure, pleading with him to make safety improvements. He also posted the letter on his Facebook page.

"It is absolutely critical action is taken immediately before another life is lost," the letter states. "I am not a traffic safety expert but what I do know is what we have now is not working."

Wischnewski has not heard back from Schuler's office yet.

In an email to CBC News, a spokesperson for the infrastructure department said the province is slowly moving toward making changes at the intersection.

The spokesperson highlighted the rumble strips and stop-sign lights while adding that a change to the speed limits in the area "is proceeding through the regulatory revision process."