At least 5 people seriously injured after 3 separate car crashes in Calgary Saturday night
'This has been a deadly and dangerous week for Calgary motorists,' says police sergeant
Calgary police are asking drivers to be careful after three separate car crashes late Saturday night sent at least five people to hospital with serious injuries.
"Each of the collisions have had different causes, but they have all resulted in the same outcome – Calgarians seriously harmed and families left dealing with a crisis," Sgt. Colin Foster, of the Calgary Police Service's collision investigation and reconstruction unit, said in a news release.
"As a driver it is your responsibility to make good decisions in the best interest of those around you."
Pedestrians injured downtown
The first incident happened downtown just after 5 p.m., when a car rear-ended a truck and did not stop.
The truck followed the car through downtown, where the car drove through a red light at 5th Avenue and 1st Street S.E., hitting two pedestrians who were in a crosswalk.
An off-duty paramedic helped the two pedestrians until Emergency Medical Services could arrive. Both were taken to hospital in serious condition, and one person suffered life-altering injuries, police say.
The car, meanwhile, did not stay on the scene. It fled to a residence in the northeast part of the city, followed by the truck. Police say they found both drivers at that residence and they were taken into custody.
Charges are pending for the driver of the car, as police investigate whether speeding and impairment were factors in the collision, police say.
The driver of the truck is facing charges for dangerous driving because of their pursuit, police say.
2-vehicle crash in Alyth-Bonnybrook-Manchester area
Roads near Cash Casino were shut down for about five hours, after a Jeep collided with a Toyota Corolla shortly before 6:45 p.m. Saturday.
The Corolla was turning into the parking lot of Cash Casino from the southbound lane of Blackfoot Trail, when it was hit by a Jeep Grand Cherokee travelling north.
UPDATE: Multi-vehicle incident on Blackfoot Tr and Highfield Rd SE, the road is closed from 42 Ave to 46 Ave SE. Use alternate Rt if possible. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yyctraffic?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#yyctraffic</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/yycroads?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#yycroads</a> <a href="https://t.co/7y2VJmJKCL">pic.twitter.com/7y2VJmJKCL</a>
—@yyctransportThe Corolla was forced across the northbound and southbound lanes of Blackfoot Trail before stopping. The driver was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries, police say.
The Jeep was thrown into the support column for the traffic signals on the north side of the intersection, but the driver was not injured, police say.
The driver of the Jeep is being investigated for excessive speed.
Driver, passenger extracted from vehicle in Woodbine-area crash
Two people are in hospital after needing to be pulled from their vehicles, following a crash near the Woodbine neighbourhood.
At 10 p.m., two cars crashed near the intersection of Woodpark Avenue and 24th Street S.W., when one turned left across the path of the other.
Both drivers were extracted from their vehicles by Calgary Fire Department crew. They were rushed to hospital in life-threatening condition, but police say they have since been updated to stable condition.
Police are investigating the cause of the crash, but do not believe either driver was impaired.
"This has been a deadly and dangerous week for Calgary motorists," Foster said. "Please slow down, drive with care and do not drive impaired."