Charges are pending against a 53-year-old man after a fatal collision on Highway 1 close to Oakville yesterday, the RCMP says in a release.

The man was driving a semi-trailer southbound on Provincial Road 430 and attempted to cross the eastbound lanes of Highway 1 towards Provincial Road 13 and collided with an SUV.

A 72-year-old male driver of the SUV from McCreary, Man., was pronounced dead on scene, and a 73-year-old female passenger, also from McCreary, was transported to Winnipeg hospital, where she is in stable condition.

Mounties say the driver of the semi-trailer, from Oakville, was not injured in the collision.

"This appears to be another senseless and preventable tragedy and brings the total number of deaths on our roads to 76," Inspector Edward Moreland, Officer in Charge of Traffic Services for the Manitoba RCMP says in a release. "On average this year, there has been a fatal collision every 3.5 days in RCMP jurisdiction.

“This is a real and present threat to the safety and security of all persons who travel on our roads. Going into the weekend, we remind everyone to drive responsibly, to watch their speed, to not drive impaired and to wear their seatbelts,” Moreland continues. “Our officers will be on the roads, but we need every Manitoban to help us in order to make a real difference."

Alcohol is not considered to be a factor in the collision. All those involved in the collision were wearing seatbelts. An RCMP Forensic Collision Reconstructionist is assisting with the ongoing investigation.