Two people died in a collision Sunday night at the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 16 in the RM of Portage la Prairie, according to RCMP.
RCMP were called to the scene around 8:30 p.m., to reports of a semi-truck colliding with a car at the intersection.
RCMP said initial investigations show a semi-truck was travelling westbound on the Trans-Canada Highway carrying a load of heavy pipes when it ran the red light at the intersection and collided with a car, which was heading southbound on Highway 16.
When emergency crews arrived, a 19-year-old woman from the RM of Alonsa and 17-year-old boy from Portage were pronounced dead at the scene.
In the last eight days, six people have been killed in collisions at this intersection.
Gurjant Singh, 23, from British Columbia, was arrested and charged with Dangerous Operation of a Motor Vehicle and Criminal Negligence Causing Death. He remains in custody.
Alcohol is not considered a factor in the collision.
“Last night, RCMP officers had to go tell two families that their children were never coming home,” said Tara Seel, Media Relations Officer with the RCMP in Manitoba in a release.
“Now those families are reeling, and the bottom line is – they should not have to be. The tragedies we are seeing on the roadways are preventable. Drivers need to slow down and pay attention.”
A RCMP Forensic Collision Reconstructionist and the RCMP Criminal Collision Investigative Team are assisting with the ongoing investigation.
-With files from Jon Hendricks
