Six dead following fiery crash near Jasper

JASPER, ALTA.— Police have cleared the scene where six people — including two visiting Americans — died in a fiery crash early Tuesday evening.

RCMP say the multi-vehicle collision happened on Hwy. 93 at Honeymoon Lake, about 60 kilometres south of the Jasper townsite.

A van carrying five members of an American family was travelling north and collided with a southbound vehicle, according to a statement released by RCMP on Wednesday morning.

Alberta RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Laurel Scott confirmed Wednesday morning that the American family was from Texas and Louisiana.

“Following the collision, both vehicles caught fire,” said the release. “A third vehicle, in an effort to avoid this collision, went off the road.”

Officers were dispatched to the highway that connects Jasper and Banff — both teeming with tourists this time of year — shortly after 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Also known as the Icefields Parkway, the scenic highway runs through some of the most popular tourist destinations in Canada, such as Lake Louise and the Athabasca Glacier.

Two members of the family visiting from the United States were declared dead on scene, while two were transported to Edmonton hospitals in “very serious condition,” said the release. The fifth occupant — a 2-year-old child — was transported to the Jasper hospital with no injuries.