A man who tried desperately to rescue a victim of a fiery fatal crash last Friday has a word of advice for people on the road: put a fire extinguisher in your car.

Jim Seggie, a reservist of more than 30 years experience, was on his way to Canadian Forces Base Shilo Friday evening when he saw the burning wreckage of vehicles that had collided on the Trans-Canada Highway west of Winnipeg.

It was one of the most horrific scenes he'd seen, he said.

Seggie helped extract the driver of one car involved in the crash, as others tried to help the driver and passengers of a burning SUV.

"I thought, 'This can't be happening,'" he said. "This is one of those things that's just never supposed to happen."

The driver of the car, which clipped a taxi and crossed the median into oncoming traffic, died. RCMP have not released his name at the request of his family.

Wayne and Serena Adair, who were westbound in the SUV, were also killed. Their nine-year-old daughter was pulled from the vehicle and is recovering.

The experience has been very hard on several people who tried to help the crash victims, Seggie said.

"I'm very sorry we couldn't help your families. If we'd have had more time and a few more fire extinguishers, perhaps we could have," he said.

"If I could say one thing to the public in general, if there's any word of advice you can take away from this, it's everybody go and buy a fire extinguisher and put it in your car, your truck or whatever. It could've saved some lives on Friday night."

Police have said alcohol and speed may have been factors in the crash.

Other drivers in the area say the stretch of highway where the accident took place, three kilometres west of the Perimeter Highway, is dangerous and should be separated by a divider.