The timing of a serious crash east of Calgary is tragic because Chestermere is working with the province to improve the safety of that intersection, says Mayor Patricia Matthews.

Five people were involved in a serious crash just east of Calgary on Tuesday afternoon. (@ssssdevine/Twitter)

A 17-year-old male, who RCMP say is currently on life support, is not expected to survive after three vehicles collided at the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 791. Friends and family members gathered Wednesday night for a vigil.

"As a mother of teenagers, I can't imagine the pain and anguish these families must be going through," said Matthews.

Three people were injured in the crash. The 17-year-old was transported to hospital by STARS air ambulance.

A 16-year-old girl from Langdon and a 47-year-old woman from Chestermere were also injured.

"We anxiously await the final implementation of an interchange at this location. We will continue to advocate to Alberta Transportation for improvements to this intersection so heartbreaking accidents like this one can be avoided in the future," Matthews added.