RCMP narrowing search for vehicle that lost wheel, killing driver on Alberta highway
'Someone out there knows something'
RCMP in Ponoka are narrowing their search for a vehicle that lost a wheel on the QE2 highway on Sunday, resulting in a collision that killed a 54-year-old motorist.
"We're asking drivers to check their vehicles and determine if this wheel is a piece of their equipment," Sgt. Chris Smiley, acting commander of the Ponoka RCMP detachment, said in a news release Tuesday.
"Someone out there knows something, and we hope you'll do the right thing and come forward to the Ponoka RCMP."
RCMP responded to a single-vehicle collision on the QE2 near the Highway 53 overpass just before 7 p.m. Sunday.
A northbound vehicle appeared to have lost control and struck a guard rail. Preliminary investigation indicated that a large wheel and tire might have come loose from a southbound vehicle and struck the northbound vehicle.
The driver died at the scene. His female passenger suffered minor injuries. She was treated and released.
RCMP initially said they believed the wheel and tire were "consistent with one used on a semi-trailer."
But police now say the wheel and tire may have come off a dual-wheel one-ton or three-quarter ton truck, or a gooseneck flat-deck trailer travelling on the QE2.
They are seeking the person who was driving a truck or hauling a trailer fitting these descriptions.
Several tips have been received from "helpful citizens," police said.
On Wednesday, RCMP released a photograph showing what they call a "vehicle of interest" in the case.
The photo shows a gooseneck trailer pulled by a one-ton or three-quarter ton truck, RCMP said. The photo was taken at about 7 p.m. Sunday, southbound on the QE2 at the Gee Road exit.
