Manitoba government accused of failing to improve safety at St. Andrews intersection before fatal crash

Selkirk MLA Richard Perchotte says government inaction is to blame after an 18-year-old man was killed in a crash at a highway intersection he previously warned the province about.

Last Wednesday, the young man from Stonewall, Man., died after a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of highways 8 and 67 in the rural municipality of St. Andrews, about 25 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

Perchotte, a Progressive Conservative MLA, has repeatedly asked the NDP government for safety improvements at the same intersection.

He'd repeated his call on two separate days in question period prior to the crash — May 8 and May 13.

"What does the minister have to say for her, and her only, inaction?" Perchotte asked Monday.

Infrastructure Minister Lisa Naylor responded by extending her condolences to the victim's family, adding the cause of the collision remains under review by police.

Don't politicize death: NDP

Naylor later chastised Perchotte for his line of questioning.

"I hate that, at a time of their loss, that a question is so politicized like this," she said.

The minister also revealed the government is working with the RM of St. Andrews on "intersection improvement designs" — something the province hadn't previously revealed, despite twice being pressed on the issue in question period in recent weeks.

In an interview, Naylor said the province is looking into safety upgrades at the intersection as part of its work to add passing lanes along portions of the roughly 50-kilometre stretch of Highway 8 south of Gimli.

RM of St. Andrews Mayor Joy Sul said the municipality was notified of the planned improvements earlier this year. She's thrilled the government is acting on the issue.

"In light of the huge number of accidents there, maybe the province would consider making it a lighted intersection," she said.

The intersection of Highway 8 and Highway 67, which is west of Selkirk, has been the site of numerous vehicle collisions over the years, Perchotte said.

Drivers travelling north or south along Highway 8 have a speed limit of 100 kilometres per hour, while those heading west or east on Highway 67 are controlled by stop signs in trying to cross three lanes of highway.

In the recent fatal crash, police believe a semi-trailer was travelling south on Highway 8 and an SUV, driven by the 18-year-old who was killed, was crossing the intersection on Highway 67, heading west.

The driver of the semi-trailer, 43, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Naylor said work on improving Highway 8 will start later this year.