Calgary man accidentally killed himself after attacking driver with knife, say police
Altercation believed to have begun as road rage incident
A Calgary man accidentally killed himself after attacking another man with a knife following a road rage incident, according to police.
The Calgary Police Service (CPS) was initially investigating the 21-year-old man's death as a homicide but have determined he died as a result of "an accidental, self-inflicted injury."
Just after 9 p.m. on Dec. 10, two drivers — the victim and a 35-year-old man — got into a fight after a near collision in the 200 block of 12th Avenue N.W.
Both men got out of their vehicles, but what began as a verbal fight turned physical when the 21-year-old pulled out a knife.
"Investigators believe the incident escalated into a physical altercation," said CPS in a release.
The 35-year-old man suffered minor injuries and was taken to hospital.
Afterward, the younger driver accidentally stabbed himself with the knife and fled in his car, according to police.
As he drove away, the young man lost consciousness and collided with a light post in the northwest community of Hounsfield Heights.
He was later discovered and pronounced dead at the scene.
'Devastating consequences'
Because the death is not considered a homicide, police say they will not release the identity of the dead man.
CPS homicide unit Staff Sgt. Sean Gregson called the incident a "harsh reminder" that a confrontation with weapons "never leads to a positive outcome."
"This is a tragic event that led to devastating consequences over a simple dispute surrounding driving," said Gregson.
"At a time when we are entering a season of celebration, we now have two families that will be forever impacted by this incident."