Alberta government to review intersection where 3 junior hockey players died in crash

The Alberta government says it will review an intersection where three junior hockey players died in a car crash while heading to practice.

The crash happened Monday at a highway entrance to Stavely, just over an hour’s drive south of Calgary.

Three members of the town’s Southern Alberta Mustangs hockey team were in a car travelling east across the highway when it collided with a northbound semi truck hauling two trailers of gravel.

The provincial transportation ministry says it takes fatal collisions seriously and that it’s common practice to review them.

It says the review will look at traffic and collision data from the intersection, lighting, and other factors to determine whether any improvements are needed.

RCMP say they’re still investigating what caused the crash.

“This is a heartbreaking tragedy, and we want to extend our deepest condolences to everyone affected,” the ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

Get daily National news

Get the day’s top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day.

“Above all, our focus remains on safety and on ensuring we learn everything we can from this tragic event.”

JJ Wright and Cameron Casorso, both 18, from Kamloops, B.C., and Caden Fine, 17, from Alabama, were killed in the crash. The truck driver, from Stavely, received minor injuries.

The team is part of the U.S. Premier Hockey League’s Premier Division.

The mayor of Nanton, a nearby town where many Mustangs live with billet families, said such highway crossings are a fact of life for rural towns.

Jen Handley said a benefit hockey game was being organized for Sunday to bring players and area residents together to support the team.