UPDATE: Man dies in fiery multi-vehicle collision near Ponoka

One person has died as a result of a fiery three-vehicle collision near Ponoka.

Emergency crews were called Friday night to the Highway 2 and Highway 53 interchange at about 10:30 p.m.

Three northbound vehicles were involved, including a pickup and a utility trailer, a minivan, and an SUV on the Highway 2 overpass.

It is believed that wintry road conditions were a factor in the collision, say police, as the pickup and trailer collided with the two other vehicles. The trailer ended up rolling while the rear end of the pickup ended up on the trailer.

The minivan ended on its side while the SUV ended up in the fast lanes with someone trapped inside.

The trailer was hauling some propane tanks, which are believed to have exploded and caused a fire between the mini van and trailer. A person in the minivan was trapped and bystanders and crews were unable to extricate the driver, a 46-year-old man, who perished in the flames.

Members of the Ponoka County East District Fire Department worked to quell the flames while also extricating the trapped woman in the SUV, who was taken to the hospital via ground ambulance. Police say she had non life-threatening injuries. The male driver of the pickup truck was uninjured.

The Ponoka Integrated Traffic Unit was on scene and a collision analyst was called to investigate the incident.

Northbound traffic was closed for about six hours eventually opening up at around 4 a.m.

Firefighters work to extricate a woman trapped in a red SUV Friday night on the Highway 2 bridge at the Highway 53 intersection. A truck hauling a trailer collided with a mini-van, which became engulfed in flames, and an SUV. The northbound lanes were closed for about six hours while a collision analyst investigated.
Photo by Jeffrey Heyden-Kaye