A Westlock County teen is dead following a two-vehicle crash on Highway 44 near Busby.
On Monday, Feb. 29, at approximately 9 a.m. Westlock RCMP, local fire crews and EMS were dispatched to a motor-vehicle collision between a BMW car and a Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck at the intersection of highways 44 and 651.
The driver of the car, a 16-year-old boy from Busby, was pronounced dead at the scene. The 37-year-old pickup truck driver, and only occupant of the vehicle, suffered minor injuries.
RCMP say they do not expect to lay any charges and have ruled out speed and alcohol as factors in the crash.
At the time of the collision, the car travelling eastbound on Highway 651 was struck by the pickup truck heading south on Highway 44.
A segment of Highway 44 was closed for collision reconstruction analysis.
Westlock RCMP Const. Rick Buisseret called the accident a “tragic event,” adding it has impacted the entire community.
“Everybody knows everybody in Busby and it hit some of the firefighters really hard that were on scene,” said Buisseret.
R.F. Staples School, where the victim, Matthew Clausen, was a Grade 11 student, issued a release advising parents, students and staff of the tragedy on Feb. 29.
“Matthew was a cherished member of our community, known for his quiet demeanor and his love of mechanics,” the release states. “Our school community is grieving.”
Principal Courtney Lawrance said counseling services were made available to all students and staff. A celebration of Matt’s life was held Monday afternoon at the school, while an open house for the teen went later that day in Busby.
“We have four counselors and they are phenomenal — they were here to support kids. And then Pembina Hills Public Schools has people at regional office that they are able to send out and help support us,” Lawrance explained.
“We made sure all our counselors were available all day long, we brought in extra substitutes so that there was extra support people in case staff needed some support or some time.
“It’s a matter of letting kids feel that grief and have a safe place to express it.”
Buisseret added that police resources were also made available to all affected.
“We had our victim services unit go to the parents’ residence and R.F. Staples School to make sure they had support and resources for them to tap into,” added Buisseret.
In the school parking lot, students set up a memorial for their classmate. A stack of tires was set up, along with a notepad where staff and students could leave a message.
