One person is dead after a van crashed into the guardrail of a building in southwest Calgary early Thursday morning.

The lone male driver was pronounced dead on scene.

The accident happened just before 5:30 a.m. MT at 1137 17th Ave. S.W., said Calgary police Duty Insp. Cliff O’Brien.

Two police officers were already in the area and responded within minutes. They were taken to hospital as a precaution in case of exposure to propane from the vehicle's fuel tank.

"The first-responding police officers attempted to get the victim out of the vehicle. And as a result, they suffered some minor smoke and propane inhalation and have been transported to hospital as a precautionary measure," said O’Brien.

The man was headed south on 11th Street before the accident.

There was a minor fire, which had to be extinguished.

Emergency crews have closed 17th Avenue S.W. between 10th and 13th streets to all traffic while they investigate.

"We're fortunate that there are a lot of people that aren't at work today and are still in Christmas-holiday mode, so that's helped a little bit, but certainly it is impacting traffic," said O’Brien.

The vehicle hit the guardrail of a building at 1137 17th Ave. S.W. (Monty Kruger/CBC)