Victims of Tete Jaune Crash Were From New Brunswick

Tuesday, July 29, 2008 11:08 AM

Aerial view of the crash scene, photo courtesy RCMP.

Prince George, B.C. - The victims of yesterday's fatal crash near Tete Jaune, were members of a family from New Brunswick.

Shirley Mowbray (53 years) of Kilburn, New Brunswick died in the 6 vehicle collision. Her passenger, Tracey Lee Mowbray (31 years) of Kilburn, New Brunswick and her daughter Katie McCullough (8 years) also died in the collision. Allie Rosaleen McCullough (5 years) sustained serious internal injuries in the collision and was transported to the Children's Hospital in Edmonton, where she remains in stable condition

RCMP say it has now been established that the 2007 Toyota Echo driven by Shirley Mowbray, was travelling westbound on Highway #16, approximately one kilometre east of the Tete Jaune weigh scales, when it crossed the centre line into the path of a westbound 1999 Kenworth tractor trailer unit from Alberta.

It has been confirmed the vehicles collided in the eastbound lane. The collision damaged the steering of the transport truck, sending it off into a rest area where it collided with four parked vehicles. The commercial transport first collided with a 2002 Suzuki motorcycle from Manitoba, knocking it into a pedestrian. The motorcycle was then forced into a 1993 Honda Civic from Alberta, also parked in the rest area. The Kenworth tractor trailer unit then collided with a 2002 Chevrolet Blazer, from Saskatchewan, which was subsequently collided with a second motorcycle, a 1997 Honda, from Manitoba.

The only injured person in the rest area was the pedestrian struck by the motorcycle when it was struck by the truck. Jeff Anderson (32 years), of St. Albert, Alberta, sustained a fractured leg and was transported to the Royal Alexander Hospital in Edmonton for treatment.

The 29 year old driver of the Kenworth tractor trailer unit, from Surrey, B.C., sustained minor injuries in the collision, was treated and released. The two passengers in the commercial unit sustained no injuries.

The investigation revealed that the weather conditions at the time of the collision provided for sunny dry conditions, with a partial overcast.

The investigation continues in to the cause of the collision and what contributed to the Toyota Echo entering the eastbound lane. Mechanical examinations and collision examinations will continue today in an effort to establish what exactly occurred. B.C. Coroners Service and the police continue to investigate.

Investigation has revealed that there were witnesses to the actual collision who have not yet spoken to police. Investigators are asking that any witnesses to the collision contact the Valemount RCMP at Tel# (250) 566-4466 or your local police detachment.

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Posted on Tuesday, July 29, 2008 11:08 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: robichal on July 29 2008 11:24 AM

That just makes me feel sick - how horribly tragic

Posted by: owl on July 29 2008 11:42 AM

Looks to me that it may have been a last minute decision by the Toyota driver to go the rest stop ...... many of those types of rest stops have signs indicating no turn inot the stop if it involves crossing an oncoming lane of traffic. .... probably one of the more common illegal movements on a highway, especially for tourists.

Posted by: trudy on July 29 2008 4:56 PM

Hey Owl
A little compassion perhaps?
Looks like three generations have been wiped out and you are talking about technicalities of who turned when? ....jeez.... do you have a heart?

Posted by: Eagleone on July 30 2008 3:37 AM

I've already sent my condolences on another thread so I'm with Owl when I say this is an accident that didn't need to happen. It happened because the BC government has two standards when it comes to highways in this province... one for the north, and one for the rest of the province. This rest stop should have a turn lane otherwise it is an accident waiting to happen and I've been saying for years the best bang for our dollar is to put in turn lanes on our highways and forget about this nonsense of seat belt and speed enforcement as the top priority when its a lack of turn lanes that kills the most innocent people. This is especially important for turn places that tourists strange to the land would be likely to use.

That said I in a way blame the driver of the transport truck for this accident even if it took place in his lane. A professional driver anticipates... and clearly that is a location to anticipate potential conflict with other vehicles awed by the scenery and not paying attention like they otherwise would. Technically the driver may not have broken any laws, but professionally anytime you have an accident in a location like that you share blame IMO.

Posted by: Eagleone on July 30 2008 3:42 AM

Also two passengers in a transport truck should be illegal. I think there should be a law that there is no passengers unless its a trainer in a transport vehicle. I've never heard of having two passengers distracting a driver that is supposed to be in full control of his environment. Is this one of those sweat shop operations? Or was the driver entertaining hitch hikers? It seems awfully strange to me and a likely cause of the accident.

Posted by: Eagleone on July 30 2008 3:44 AM

You'll notice if she was east bound she had a tractor trailer unit right behind her likely prompting a bad decision in light of no turn lane.

Posted by: red2b on July 30 2008 7:37 AM

Eagleone- you blame the truck driver for this accident? What a ridiculous conclusion. Every semi coming down the highway should be aware that someone might turn into their lane? What are they supposed to do? Drive down the shoulder just in case?
Only you could spin this sad accident to blame the government and the truck driver. Maybe the accident was just an accident.

Posted by: metalman on July 30 2008 7:44 AM

Getting away from the tragedy of this accident; I have to agree that our highways are thirty to forty years behind in design, what I mean is that they were adequate when the volume of traffic was much lower than it is now, and that goes for most areas in the north. The highway where this accident occurred is very heavily travelled in the summer, and there should most definitely be more turning lanes, just think of all the people gawking at the scenery, the wildlife, things can happen so quickly at 100 km/hr. all it takes is to be distracted for a couple of seconds and lives are forever altered. I have to agree with eagleone on this, defensive driving is all about awareness and anticipation. Driving is a serious business no matter what size or type of vehicle you are piloting. Having said that, I don't know what the trucker could have done to even try to avoid a collision, as there were people and vehicles in the rest area, perhaps he could have been hard on the binders a little sooner, would that have saved the ladies' lives? Probably not. It is little consolation however, knowing you are in the right, when a tragedy has occurred. I'm sure the trucker is playing the scene out over and over in his mind, as he would naturally feel at least some guilt.
metalman.

Posted by: Quaddin on July 30 2008 8:25 AM

Obviously Eagleone has never driven a transport truck. Yes Eagleone the driver of the transport was 100% in the wrong. He should have foreseen the impending stupidity of the other motorists on the road. He then could have come to a complete stop on the highway before going past the rest area to make sure no one was thinking of entering or coming out of the rest area. This way he could have avoided the tragedy.

Just as I always pull off the road into the ditch when someone passes me on a double solid line on a corner or cresting a hill.
Better yet the driver should have stopped in the middle of the road and announced his intentions to pass the rest area that way no one would be in any doubt what so ever as to the Professional Drivers intentions.

No if you don't want to expire prematurely don't do stupid things around transport trucks. They are 140,000 lbs and can not stop or get out of your way.

My condolences to the injured and the families of the deceased. Yes it is an accident that did not need to happen.

Posted by: owl on July 30 2008 10:50 AM

Trudy ... I have compassion .... but that is not going to help those people who have died .... and neither will it help those people who continue to drive on roads that have some poor design features ... and posting on here whether compassionate or accident prevention oriented is typically not going to help anyone either, it is just the ramblings of a few people similar to sitting around a coffee table and chatting about things in general.

You want to show compassion? Attend the funeral, send flowers, give a donation to a worthy cause, send a message to the remainder of the family .... and most importantly, do it without letting other know so that it is not seen as "look at me!!! I am compassionate!!! I care!!!"

True compassion in my eyes is private and does not expect anything in return including recognition by others of your compassion.

I like this quote about compassion:

"I know the compassion of others is a relief at first. I don't despise it. But it can't quench pain, it slips through your soul as through a sieve. And when our suffering has been dragged from one pity to another, as from one mouth to another, we can no longer respect or love it." - Georges Bernanos

http://www.answers.com/topic/georges-bernanos

Posted by: ssassy on July 30 2008 6:24 PM

people...lets please keep in mind that a grandmother, a mother and daughter died in this accident...a younger daughter is still in a hospital far from home. This was an accident, a very sad accident. Have compassion for the family, and their friends who are suffering a great loss. My mother taught me that if I didnt have anything good to say, to say nothing. My thoughts and prayers go out to the truck driver and his family. No matter what, he will have the nightmares of this accident forever.
Praying for the family, and Allie from home in New Brunswick.