The police laid charges after a dangerous driving incident in southeast Edmonton resulted in five people being sent to the hospital.
According to the Edmonton Police Service, a fast-moving semi truck drove unpredictably, ignored a traffic signal, and collided with various objects and two vehicles.
On Monday evening, just before 6:30 p.m., the police received multiple reports about a red Kenworth tractor and flatbed trailer swerving erratically while traveling east on Anthony Henday Drive at about 150 km/h, exceeding the 100 km/h speed limit.
The truck then left the freeway and headed south to the Walker area. There, the semi hit a parked GMC Sierra, knocked over a tree, and then ran a red light at the intersection of 50th Street and 22nd Avenue SW.
The truck continued south along 50th Street into the country, traveling at 100 km/h in a 70 km/h zone. The semi drove through a ditch before turning east onto a rural stretch of 41st Avenue SW.
The semi then turned back north at 34th Street SW, where it rear-ended a Dodge Ram with five people inside.
The 25-year-old man driving the Dodge was taken to the hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. The other four people in the pickup were taken to the hospital for precautionary reasons.
After the collision, the damaged semi veered off the road, hit several more trees, and came to a stop in a field.
The driver of the tractor trailer was not injured in the collision and police arrested him on scene.
EPS said 39-year-old Dominic Zajac’s driver’s licence has been suspended, and he is charged with impaired operation causing bodily harm, dangerous operation causing bodily harm and refusal to provide breath sample.
The EPS major collision investigations unit continues to investigate.
