The medical examiner has confirmed that a St. Albert man was one of two people killed in a horrific crash more than a month ago near Valleyview.
Jim Domenco, 51, from St. Albert was killed along with Paula Chan, 46, from Sherwood Park in the Oct. 3 accident, but because of the severity of the collision and a fire that broke out immediately afterwards, they were only positively identified last week.
The crash happened about 30 kilometres west of Valleyview on Highway 43.
Domenco and Chan were in a small car headed westbound when they crossed the centre line into the path of a five-ton cube van and collided head on.
Both vehicles appear to have then slid on to their sides before catching fire.
The ensuing fire virtually destroyed the small car and police were originally unable to identify even the make or model of the vehicle. It has since been identified as a 2010 Honda Fit.
The cube van was carrying firefighting equipment for oil companies and the 33-year-old driver of that vehicle escaped unharmed.
Cpl. Carol McKinley with the RCMP said investigators are unsure as to what caused the car to swerve into the oncoming lane.
“Because there were no witnesses to the crash and we were unable to speak to the occupants it is difficult to determine, other than external factors, what might have been the reason.”
She said the first drivers to come upon the accident found both vehicles burning.
“Motorists who first came upon the collision found the vehicles engulfed upon their arrival.”
She said police are still waiting for a collision analyst’s report into the crash that might shed some light on what happened, but at this point they are also unsure what caused both vehicles to catch fire.
“It could have been from the severity. It could have been from a variety of reasons. It is not clear.”
McKinley said she is unsure of what conversations might have taken place prior to last Thursday’s confirmation from the medical examiner, but said officers do have to wait until an identity has been confirmed before officially notifying family members.
