Highway 16 Fatal Crash: Alberta's Second Hockey Team Tragedy in Three Weeks

HINTON, AB — As reported by CBC News, two female high school students from Hinton—aged 17 and 18—were killed in a collision on Highway 16 between Jasper and Hinton on Monday evening. Both attended Harry Collinge High School and played for the Jasper U-18 Bearcats hockey team. Road conditions are believed to be a factor in the crash.

But this isn't an isolated tragedy. It's the second time in three weeks that young Alberta hockey players have died on provincial highways.

On February 2, three members of the Southern Alberta Mustangs junior hockey team were killed in a crash while heading to practice in Stavely, south of Calgary. Now, less than a month later, two more student-athletes are gone—this time on the 75-kilometer stretch between Jasper and Hinton that families travel daily for work, school, and hockey.

Highway 16, known as the Yellowhead Highway, has a documented history of fatal collisions. In August 2020, a 10-year-old girl was killed in a multi-vehicle crash about 10 kilometers east of the Jasper National Park gates. In July 2021, a four-vehicle collision involving a semi-truck claimed one life about 18 kilometers west of Hinton. The highway was also closed during the July and August 2024 wildfires in Jasper National Park due to active burning, damaged trees, and safety concerns—underscoring how critical this route is as a lifeline between communities.

The communities of Hinton and Jasper are tightly connected. Many residents make the drive daily, and for young athletes like the Bearcats, it's routine. But routine doesn't mean safe. Road conditions, weather, and the sheer volume of traffic on Highway 16 create persistent risks that infrastructure and emergency response systems must address.

Two crashes. Five young lives. Three weeks. For families across Alberta who rely on highways to get their kids to practice, to school, to life—this pattern isn't background noise. It's a warning.