Tire falls off car, results in fatal Highway 1 crash: Manitoba RCMP

The RCMP logo is seen outside Royal Canadian Mounted Police "E" Division Headquarters. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

A 59-year-old man has died following a crash involving three vehicles that started after a tire fell off a car on the Trans-Canada Highway Wednesday morning in the RM of Tache.

According to Manitoba RCMP, officers in St. Pierre-Jolys responded to a crash on Highway 1 at Provincial Road 206 at roughly 12:30 a.m. When they arrived, one vehicle was in the south ditch, while two others were on the highway.

Investigators say a car and a SUV were heading east on Highway 1 and were next to each other when the car's passenger tire, with the control arm and other parts, came off and hit the SUV, which was being driven in the south lane. The SUV went into the ditch and rolled

The car came to a stop on the road and immediately caught fire. The driver, a 25-year-old man from Calgary, was able to escape. He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the SUV, a 59-year-old man from Steinbach, was pronounced dead at the scene. His passenger, a 45-year-old man from the RM of Hanover, was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.

RCMP said a third vehicle, being driven by a 28-year-old woman from Kenora, was travelling close behind the collision and hit the tire, which was still on the highway. Her vehicle was inoperable, and she was taken to hospital with minor physical injuries.

A forensic reconstruction specialist is helping with the investigation.