(The following statement has been released by RCMP)
Wood Buffalo RCMP are investigating a two vehicle collision that occurred shortly after 1:00 am, on January 14, 2012, on Secondary Highway 881. Police were called to the collision approximately 15 km south of Anzac where a pilot vehicle operator had stepped out of the vehicle to conduct traffic control as part of a wideload vehicle escort. The pilot vehicle was stationary in the southbound lane when a northbound pick-up truck struck it as well as the pedestrian. The victim, a 49 year-old female from the Edmonton area, was pronounced dead at the scene. Her name is not being released out of respect for the family.
The driver of the northbound vehicle, a 36 year-old male from La Loche, Saskatchewan, was taken to hospital with undisclosed injuries and was later released. Darcy Earl Lemaigre was subsequently taken into police custody and charged with numerous offences including Impaired Driving Causing Death, Criminal Negligence Causing Death, as well as Refusing to Provide a Breath Sample. The accused has been remanded in custody. The collision is still under investigation, however it has been determined that alcohol was a contributing factor.
