Fatal collision the 3rd serious crash on the busy thoroughfare on Friday

One man is dead and a woman was taken to hospital with serious injuries after a single-vehicle crash on Crowchild Trail Friday. (CBC)

A man in his 20s is dead and a woman is seriously injured after an SUV crashed on Crowchild Trail in the city's southwest. 
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The incident happened just before 5 p.m. in the northbound lanes near 26th Avenue.

Officials say the early investigation shows the SUV lost control and hit the eastern sound wall of Crowchild Trail, causing extensive damage.

"It's rare to see this much damage in a single-vehicle collision, especially a vehicle of this size," said Calgary EMS spokesperson Stuart Brideaux.

'It was a horrible scene, a very horrible scene'

A woman who lives near the crash had just arrived home from work.

Ellen Fraser had just arrived home from work Friday when she heard the crash. (CBC)

"It sounded like there was a huge explosion," Ellen Fraser said.

"I came running out, took a look and saw that the whole (concrete) barrier was gone."

Fraser says she saw the deceased man before paramedics arrived.

"I felt helpless, there was nothing I could do. It was a horrible scene, a very horrible scene," she said.

3rd serious crash

Northbound Crowchild Trail was closed as police conducted their investigation. (Mike Symington/CBC)

Brideaux says the driver was killed on the scene.

The passenger, a woman also in her 20s, was taken to hospital in serious potentially-life-threatening condition.

The northbound lanes were temporarily closed for the investigation.

It's the third serious crash on that stretch of road today.

There was also one near the same location earlier in the day, as well as a crash by the Bow bridge exit on Memorial Drive around the same time.