Latest news with #BradMandrusiak
CTV News
4 days ago
- Automotive
- CTV News
Slow down, move over for emergency vehicles: police, fire, EMS
Edmonton's first responders are reminding drivers to move over when they see emergency vehicles on the road. While Edmonton has exceeded its yearly fatal collision average with four and a half months left of 2025, emergency services are asking drivers to take it slow when passing ambulances, fire trucks and police cruisers. 'We've had a summer of close calls,' said Insp. Brad Mandrusiak with the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) Traffic Services Branch. 'So now more than ever, it's important to remind everyone how to properly respond to emergency vehicles travelling to a call as well as those parked roadside with their emergency lights engaged.' At a press conference on Thursday, Mandrusiak said responders are often working within inches of active traffic on busy roadways throughout the city. 'We've had officers clipped, tow operators nearly struck, and countless close calls that never make the news,' said Mandrusiak, adding that EPS cruisers have been hit by civilian vehicles 42 times so far this year. EPSCRASH An Edmonton police cruiser is seen after a vehicle rear-ended it on Dec. 20, 2024. (Supplied) 'There are many factors at play here, but we can say that speeding, driving and general lack of attention behind the wheel are often contributing factors.' Mandrusiak said an officer was sent to hospital last week after getting hit by a civilian vehicle while parked in a marked cruiser with emergency lights flashing. 'Given the speed and type of vehicle involved, we're very fortunate that one of our officers wasn't seriously injured or killed,' said the inspector. EPSCRASH A crumpled vehicle that rear-ended a Edmonton police cruiser is seen on Dec. 20, 2024. (Supplied) Edmonton Fire Rescue Services (EFRS) experienced a similar incident on Anthony Henday Drive where crews were responding to a crash when a vehicle hit a ladder truck at 100 kilometres an hour. No one was injured. Acting deputy chief Jamie Amiel said when EFRS asked the driver what happened, they said they didn't see the fire truck. 'I find this hard to believe. It's a 50-foot truck, it's bright red, it's got flashing lights, there's broad daylight,' said Amiel at the news conference. Kaylee Pfeifer, a paramedic and acting public education officer with Alberta Health Services said these close calls are often preventable. 'We need you to look, pay attention while driving, looking and watching for emergency lights and listening for our sirens,' said Pfeifer. 'By being aware, you will give yourself more time to make a calm, smooth decision.' EPS, EFRS, EMS and AMA are hoping drivers can remember three steps when they see an emergency vehicle on the road: Look Always be aware of other roadway users, looking in all directions including behind you to see where an emergency vehicle is approaching from. Move Signal your intentions and move to the right to make room for the emergency vehicle to pass. Stop Stop – not in an intersection – and make sure all emergency vehicles have passed. Signal to merge back into traffic when it is safe to do so. 'These small, but confident actions can help us help others as quickly as possible,' said Amiel. Alberta's Traffic Safety Act requires drivers to slow down to 60 kilometres per hour or less on the highway when passing an emergency services vehicle or tow truck. Police are advising Edmontonians to be extra cautious on inner-city high-speed roads like the Henday, Yellowhead Trail, Whitemud Drive and the QE II. While the province largely ditched photo radar last year, Mandrusiak said it's too early to tell if the policy change has had an impact on the number of crashes. 'But I can say that speeding in general is up to a concerning level,' he said.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Yahoo
'Significant increase in fatal collisions': EPS says speed a factor in half of fatal collisions so far this year
The Edmonton Police Service says it has seen an uptick in fatal collisions so far in 2025 compared to the same time last year. As of Aug. 11, police said there have been 22 fatal collisions so far this year, compared to this time in 2024 when there were 16. In 2024, there were a total of 24 fatal collisions. Of the collisions investigated in 2025, 50 per cent of fatal collisions and 16 per cent of serious injury collisions had speed identified as a factor. Insp. Brad Mandrusiak, in charge of the EPS traffic safety branch. spoke to media on Tuesday regarding traffic safety since the province pulled 70 per cent of speed cameras in Alberta. He said while it's too soon to say what the impact of speed camera removals have been on traffic safety, he said police are seeing a 'significant increase in fatal collisions' so far this year. This Q and A has been edited for length and clarity. What's the current situation since the province pulled the majority of speed cameras? (Speed cameras) were a tool in our tool belt, but that tool is no longer in our tool belt to the same scope. We continue to do what we can to make our roadways safer using more traditional methods and means. Speed is a concern for us and it's a concern for the public too. We're asking people to really be considerate on the roadways, to obey the laws, to follow the speed limits and to not engage in any kind of reckless behaviour because clearly it has an impact. These things are preventable. We still have several months here to go yet before the end of the year, but we're sitting at year to date 18.2 per cent of our fatal collisions involve an impaired driver, versus 7.7 per cent in 2024. We've got a significant number of our files involving potentially not only speed but also some level of impairment on the part of the driver. Why was there such a large leap in the number of fatal collisions compared to this time last year? No idea why, not at this particular point. In the face of some of the movement towards certain tools that we can use within the province of Alberta to specifically address impaired driving, like immediate roadside sanctions, which is a provincial initiative, versus a federal initiative like mandatory alcohol screening. It is a message that we're obviously concerned might not be getting out that police can stop you without any grounds and demand that you provide a sample of breath for a screening device. For example, the federal law versus the provincial law, which is, if you've got a certain level of alcohol in your body detected through a screening device, there can be pretty serious consequences that flow through an administrative process. So, an immediate fine and seizure. The province said it plans to collaborate with local police forces to make speeding less of an issue. What have you heard and what might it look like? As far as I know, the Edmonton Police Service hasn't received any of the details regarding what the plan will be. I can tell you that we have our own plan, a part of which is going to be initiated here very soon. It'll run until the end of summer and I'm sure it'll be consistent with whatever the province comes down with as well. We'll release a lot of the details in due course and you'll see some of the targeted groups in relation to that plan. ctran@ X: @kccindytran Related Alberta to launch anti-speeding campaign following 'deeply concerning' surge in fatal collisions in Edmonton 'Absolutely concerned': Edmonton mayor, councillors react to Alberta photo radar plan Bookmark our website and support our journalism:Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal | The Edmonton Sun.
CBC
26-05-2025
- CBC
'Please slow down,' Edmonton police chief says after 3 people die in weekend collisions
Edmonton police are urging drivers to slow down after three people died over the weekend in speeding-related crashes. Thirteen people have been killed in traffic collisions so far this year in the city. According to data from EPS, that figure is much higher than the total typically reported during the first five months of the year. During the same time period, five people last year had been killed in traffic collisions and eight in 2023. Police say their preliminary findings indicate that speeding was a factor in more than half of this year's fatal collisions. "That's why we're speaking to the public today to remind everyone to please slow down — it could literally save your life," interim police chief Devin Laforce said at a news conference Monday afternoon. 3 crashes over the weekend Brad Mandrusiak, acting superintendent with EPS's investigations and support service bureau, said police are continuing to investigate three fatalities that occurred over the weekend. A 71-year-old man died on the north side after being struck on Friday morning by a 16-year-old driving an SUV. Early Saturday morning, a 36-year-old man was found dead after losing control of his BMW and hitting a tree in the west end. And later on Saturday, also in the west end, a 26-year-old man riding a motorcycle died after trying to pass a car that turned left. Police believe speeding was a factor in all three collisions. "This weekend, our officers had to share the awful news to three families that their loved ones would not be coming home," Mandrusiak said. "That is never easy and it never gets easier." He said traffic fatalities traumatize survivors, families, emergency responders and communities. What's behind the increase? Police said warmer weather conditions, more powerful vehicles and risky behaviour being encouraged on social media could be influencing drivers' behaviour. They said officers will continue to enforce traffic laws — a recent 24-hour blitz led to nearly 200 speeding-related traffic violations — but province-wide, police now have fewer tools to prevent speeding. As of April 1, the provincial government no longer allows speed-on-green cameras at intersections or photo radar, except in school, playground and construction zones. The government has said it removed automated sites that don't improve public safety but some have disputed that claim, saying the tool can no longer be used at the most collision-prone locations. In recent months, some municipalities have decided to scrap automated enforcement programs altogether because of the new provincial restrictions. "Would we prefer to have it? Yes, we probably would," Mandrusiak said. Laforce said automated enforcement, especially at high-risk intersections, changes driver behaviour and contributes to traffic safety. "It's part of that solution," he said.
