EDITOR'S NOTE: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated the accident occurred 8 km west of Athabasca, while it was in fact 30 km south of the town, near Perryvale. There are two different Range Road 233s on the map. We apologize for the error.
ATHABASCA - Athabasca RCMP are asking for any information the public may have as they continue to investigate a fatal accident just north of Perryvale on Highway 2 Saturday that claimed the life of a 79-year-old man.
RCMP responded to the two-vehicle collision at 2:10 p.m. Jan. 29 on Highway 2 at Range Road 233, about 30 km south of Athabasca.
"The preliminary investigation revealed a northbound vehicle, a pickup truck towing a flat deck trailer, was slowing down to turn west onto Range Road 233 when it was rear ended by a pickup truck," stated an RCMP media release received Saturday night. "The driver of the pickup truck, a 79-year-old male from Athabasca, was declared deceased at the scene. The driver of the other vehicle was uninjured."
Town and Country This Week has confirmed through family that Allan Purdy was the driver of the second pickup truck.
The accident is the latest of several in that immediate area of Highway 2 in the last two weeks, and the second fatality. On Jan. 14, an Edmonton man was killed at the intersection of Highway 2 and Township Road 634 in the same general vicinity, after rear-ending a turning semi truck.
If you have any information in relation to the collision, please contact the Athabasca RCMP at (780) 675-5122. If you have information about this collision and you wish to remain anonymous, you can contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS), online at www.P3Tips.com or by using the "P3 Tips" app available through the Apple App or Google Play Store.
