Police chase called off before deadly crash, say investigators

ASIRT probing role of Edmonton police in crash

Image | Susan Hughson

Caption: Susan Hughson, ASIRT executive director, said investigators are looking into the role of Edmonton police, if any, in a fatal crash in northeast Edmonton Sunday. (CBC)

Investigators say Edmonton police called off a chase moments before the suspect vehicle plowed into two others, leaving two people dead Sunday.
Police began following a Chevrolet vehicle containing four people near 82nd Street and 121st Avenue at around 5:25 a.m.
When the vehicle sped away, the officer gave chase.
A few moments later, at about 5:30 a.m., the speeding Chevrolet entered the intersection of Manning Drive and 50th Street and slammed into two other vehicles.
Two people in the back seat of the suspect vehicle, a 29-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman, died at the scene.
The driver, a 25-year-old man, and a 23-year-old woman in the front passenger seat are both in hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
The people in the two other vehicles were not hurt.
In a news release Monday, ASIRT said police had called off the chase before the crash over concerns about public safety.
ASIRT said it is investigating the circumstances surrounding the initial police interaction with the car and the police response to the criminal flight to determine what influence, if any, it had on the crash.
ASIRT's mandate is to investigate incidents involving Alberta's police resulting in serious injury or death to any person, as well as serious or sensitive allegations of police misconduct.
The crash was the second fatal crash in northeast Edmonton on the weekend.
A three-vehicle crash at 167th Avenue and 59A Street early Saturday left one man dead and another in critical condition.
Corrections:
  • An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported that ASIRT was investigating the fatal crash Saturday at 167th Avenue and 59A Street. March 14, 2016 6:23 PM