Two people are dead after a pick-up truck slammed head-on into a semi-trailer on Friday north of Neepawa.
Spruce Plains RCMP said on Friday that their initial investigation indicated that shortly after noon, a 2009 Dodge pick-up truck was travelling north on Hwy 5 when it lost control and went into the path of a southbound semi trailer.
"The occupants of the pick-up truck, an adult male and an adult female, were pronounced deceased at the scene," RCMP said. "Confirmation of identities is pending and no other injuries have been reported."
Neepawa RCMP and emergency services had just returned from a minor accident call on the same stretch of Hwy 5 north of Eden when the second accident occurred.
The first major snowstorm of the winter had dumped between 10 and 20 centimetres of snow, causing Hwy 5 to be snow covered with exceptionally poor visibility.
Investigators from the Neepawa detachment, as well as, an RCMP traffic collision analyst were called to the scene prompting the closure of Hwy 5 until late in the afternoon.
Although the investigation is continuing, police said road conditions at the time of the crash were a leading factor in the fatal accident.
The snowstorm, which prompted blizzard warnings to be issued on Saturday for the Neepawa area.
A number of highways were closed in Manitoba, including the Yellowhead highway from the boundary with Saskatchewan to Minnedosa.
"It's really bad out there," said a Selkirk driver, who decided to pull off the road in Gladstone and wait out the storm.
"It's slippery and when a big truck goes by, you can't see a darn thing... we'll hole up tonight and go tomorrow.
"It's just stupid out there right now."