Victims call on crash witnesses

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This article was published 12/01/2023 (613 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Former Brandon city councillor and police officer Murray Blight is asking witnesses to a crash that severely injured his wife to step forward as he tries to piece together what happened.

Additional witnesses may help RCMP determine what happened to trigger the crash that injured his wife, Lorna, and others, he said.

“I would certainly appreciate it,” Blight told the Sun on Thursday.

The collision in question happened around 5:30 or 5:45 p.m. on Jan. 5.

Brandon resident Rob Tomlinson, who was involved in the crash and whose wife Shannon was severely injured, said the couple was driving south on Highway 10, in a valley north of Minnedosa, when the multi-vehicle collision happened.

Their vehicle was behind Lorna Blight, who was driving her husband’s pickup truck. Tomlinson said there was a silver vehicle between him and Blight’s truck, and Murray said there was a cube van travelling south in front of Lorna.

According to Tomlinson, he and his wife were driving home to Brandon after snow-shoeing in Riding Mountain National Park.

“I just heard a huge bang and immediately put my feet on the brake,” Tomlinson said in a phone interview from the Health Sciences Centre, where his wife is recovering. “The next thing I know, there was a red Ford that slid in front of us.”

While he stressed that the collision is still under investigation by RCMP, Tomlinson said he believes that, for some reason, the northbound red truck had entered the southbound lane and the bang he heard was the red truck colliding with Blight’s vehicle.

Tomlinson said he believes the silver vehicle that had been between his vehicle and Blight’s wasn’t hit, but the red truck continued to hurtle north, spun to face east-west, where it blocked both lanes, and was T-boned by the Tomlinsons’ vehicle, which was still heading south in its lane.

The Tomlinsons’ vehicle ended up partially in the west-side ditch. Tomlinson said he was “banged up” and had a concussion, but was OK and managed to call 911. Unfortunately, his wife’s injuries were worse.

Shannon Tomlinson was taken to Minnedosa hospital with an arm that was visibly fractured, her husband said. It was only when she was later transferred to Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg that they learned she had also suffered two fractured vertebrae, one of which was in her neck, five broken ribs and a broken sternum.

Her broken arm and fractured neck vertebrae required surgery. She now faces physiotherapy and a lengthy hospital stay.

“She’s got a long, long road of recovery,” Rob Tomlinson said, adding his wife can walk despite the extensive injuries she received. “She was out of bed yesterday, which is fantastic, because that’s huge with vertebrae.”

There’s no word on the condition of the person or people who were in the red truck. RCMP didn’t immediately respond Thursday afternoon to a request for more information. As such, there’s no word on whether police are seeking more witnesses or have determined the cause of the crash.

Tomlinson noted it was dark at the time of the collision, but the highway condition was dry and good.

Murray Blight said he has been trying to piece events together himself.

He had been in Winnipeg and was going to meet his wife at the intersection of highways 10 and 16, south of the collision scene, to switch vehicles. He was going to head home to the Clear Lake area, while his wife was to travel to Brandon to dog-sit for their son.

Despite her condition, Lorna Blight called her husband right after the crash to let him know what happened and, being nearby, he was quickly on scene.

Blight was cut free from the wrecked truck and was taken to Brandon hospital. She was later transferred to Health Sciences Centre, where she underwent surgery to place a pin in her damaged leg. She also had five fractured ribs and a blood clot. She remains in hospital but is resting well, Murray Blight said.

The cube truck travelling south in front of Lorna Blight managed to pull over onto the shoulder and avoided the collision, Murray Blight said. That vehicle stayed nearby for some time, but Blight said it appears the driver left before police spoke with them.

Tomlinson said he believes the silver vehicle, which had been between his vehicle and Blight’s and dodged the crash, continued on its way.

Murray Blight said he would like the drivers of those vehicles to step forward, if they haven’t already. He also wonders whether other vehicles have dashcam footage that could be useful to investigators.

The matter is being investigated by Neepawa RCMP, whose number is 204-476-7340.

» ihitchen@brandonsun.com