3 dead, 2 critically injured in crash in Marshfield

Three young people were killed and two other people were critically injured in a two-vehicle collision on St Peters Road in Marshfield, P.E.I., on Friday night, RCMP say.

A sixth person was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

A 20-year-old man from York was arrested for dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death and impaired drivingcausing death. The man will appear in provincial court at a later date. The incidentremains under investigation.

Queens District RCMP responded to the collision at about 6:20 p.m.

The section of affected roadway on Route2between York Roadand Suffolk Roadwas closed until approximately 1 a.m.

Police said early indications appear to show that a pickup truck pulled out into the oncoming lane and struck a car head-on. Passengers in the car werean 17-year-old male, 18-year-old female, and a male between the age of 10 and 14,who died from their injuries, as well asanother teenaged malewho is being treated for serious injuries at a hospital off-Island.

The three people who died were from the Kings County area, police said.

A man who was a passenger of the truck was seriously injured and is being treated off-Island. The driver of the truck, who was arrested, also suffered injuries.

Island EMS, North Shore Fire Department, the provincial Department of Transportation and the provincial coroner attended the scene.

RCMP Cpl. Gavin Moore said police are thinkingabout the tragedy with heavy hearts.

"All Islanders feel this tragic event, and we should all use this as a reminder of the extreme consequences of making risky, dangerous decisions."

The Marshfieldincidentwas the third collision that resulted in the arrest of an impaired driver in the last three days.

Partial Code Orange

The Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown called a partial Code Orange after the collision Friday night.

It returned to normal operations late Friday night.

A Code Orange is called when an external disaster or threat is likely to require additional hospital resources, according to Health P.E.I.

On the way to this collision, an unmarked RCMP vehicle traveling with lights and sirens, collided with a vehicle at the intersection on the bypass at Mount Edward Road.

No one was injured.

Charlottetown Police are investigating it as a separate collision.