Three temporary foreign workers are dead after a crash near Sylvan Lake, north of Calgary, on Saturday afternoon.

Police say a truck hit a Ford Mustang just before 2:25 p.m. MT on Highway 11 at Range Road 42, west of Sylvan Lake.

According to a statement from Rocky Mountain House RCMP, the Mustang entered the ditch, over-corrected and crossed the centre line backwards — striking an eastbound five-ton moving truck.

Icy roads are believed to have been a factor as there had been freezing rain in the area at the time of the collision.

The damage was so extensive, investigators initially had trouble identifying how many victims were in the Mustang. Investigators later determined there were four people in the car.

Two men and one woman, all temporary foreign workers from the Philippines, were pronounced dead at the scene. The 25-year-old driver was taken to hospital in Edmonton by STARS air ambulance. He is in critical condition.

The two people in the truck were not hurt.

Police say the deceased were returning to Rocky Mountain House after language training in Red Deer. Next of kin notifications are ongoing.

Police say there is no indication alcohol or drugs were factors in the crash but driver inexperience may have been an issue.

This is the second crash in less than a month that claimed the lives of temporary foreign workers in Alberta. On Nov. 22, a crash near Leduc killed four people from the Phillipines.