A five-year-old girl is dead, and her father remains in hospital after a snowmobile crash just metres from the family's home in Strathcona County.
Emergency crews were called to the crash around 5 p.m. Sunday at a rural subdivision in Brookville Estates, just east of Ardrossan.
Police say the 36-year-old driver of the sled lost control and slammed into tree. Both the young girl, Taeya Maron and her father were not wearing helmets at the time.
"The snowmobile struck a tree and both he and his daughter ended up being thrown off the machine and the daughter struck one of the trees," said Const. Wally Henry with Strathcona County RCMP.
Investigators say the girl died at the scene from head injuries. Her father was rushed to hospital in serious condition. Police say the man is recovering in hospital Monday with non-life-threatening injuries.
Currently, there is no law requiring the use of helmets on snowmobiles. Two years ago, the province considered introducing legislation and began meeting with snowmobile clubs, but to date, no changes have been made.
Counsellors are now being brought in to the Sherwood park area school where the young girl attended kindergarten.
"It's very difficult for someone so young to try and understand it and to really help parents help their kids," said Tanya Orr with Elk Island Public Schools.
Police say alcohol is not suspected as a contributing factor in the crash. And while officers continue to try to piece together what happened, they don't expect any charges to be laid.
With files from Laura Tupper
