Fatal Trans-Canada collision this week happened after car side-swiped SUV: Manitoba RCMP

RCMPnow say they believe a driverside-swiping another vehicle, and not mechanical failure, led to a fatal crash on the Trans-Canada Highway southeast of Winnipeg earlier this week.

Police released more details Friday about the Wednesday crash on Highway 1 at Provincial Road 206, just west of Centre of Canada Park, that left a 59-year-old Steinbach man dead and three others injured.

In a news release earlier this week, St-Pierre-Jolys RCMP said around 12:30 a.m. on Wednesday, the wheel, control arm and other parts of a car travelling eastbound on Highway 1 flew off the vehicle, striking an eastbound SUV in the lane beside the car on the four-lane divided highway.

The SUVhit the ditch and rolled, killing the Steinbach man, who was driving.

RCMP now say aforensic collision reconstructionist working on theinvestigationbelieves the car's mechanical condition was not a factorin the crash.

In Friday's update, RCMP said they have confirmed the car crossed over the dividing line between the two lanes and side-swiped the SUV.

Police previously said thecar came to a stopon the roadway and immediately caught fire, but the driver a 25-year-old man from Calgary was able to escapefrom the vehicle. He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

A 45-year-old from Hanover who was a passenger in the SUV was alsotaken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

A 28-year-old woman from Kenora, Ont., who was driving close behind the collision, hit one of the car parts on the highway, making her vehicle inoperable. She was also taken to hospital with minor physical injuries.

St-Pierre-Jolys RCMPsay they continue to investigate the crash.