Manitoba

Man charged with impaired driving in multi-vehicle crash that sent 7 to hospital

Police now say seven people were taken to hospital as a result of the collision near the city’s west Perimeter Highway on Friday afternoon. One remains in critical condition.

High-speed collision occurred near west Perimeter Highway on Friday

Four vehicles were near the crash site around 2 p.m. Friday, including at least three that appeared to have been badly damaged. (Walther Bernal/CBC)

A 28-year-old man is charged with a slew of impaired driving-related offences after he drove his sedan into Winnipeg at speeds reaching 150 km/h and crashed into the back of another car, sending it rolling into oncoming traffic where it collided with two other vehicles, police say.

Police now say seven people were taken to hospital as a result of the collision near the city's west Perimeter Highway on Friday afternoon. That number included a person in one of the cars the man hit, who was in critical condition. 

"It was a violent collision. Anyone that was at the scene or has seen pictures can attest to the damage that was caused," Winnipeg Police Service spokesperson Const. Jay Murray said at a news conference Saturday morning.

"We're lucky that more people weren't seriously injured."

The crash tied up traffic for hours into the evening, making it difficult for even emergency vehicles to make it to the scene, Murray said.

It is believed everyone involved has since been released from hospital, he said.

Police responded to Portage Avenue at Saint Charles Street just after 1 p.m. Friday. Traffic collision investigators determined the sedan was speeding eastbound on Portage Avenue from Headingley, Man., at times driving against traffic, Murray said.

One of the cars that was badly damaged in the multi-vehicle collision on Friday. (Walther Bernal/CBC)

Someone called police to report the driver of the sedan as it sped through Headingley, Murray said. RCMP were in the process of responding, but had not yet started pursuing the sedan when it crashed in Winnipeg, Murray said.

"It's a reminder of how quick something like this can happen," he said.

Driver refused blood sample

The sedan rear-ended another eastbound vehicle, which then rolled into the westbound lanes and crashed into the other vehicles, Murray said. The driver and his two passengers got out of the sedan and tried to run away, but didn't make it far before witnesses helped police track them down.

All three were among the people taken to hospital.

The driver refused to give a blood sample to officers and was arrested away from the vehicle, Murray said.

The Winnipeg man is charged with one count each of operation of a conveyance causing bodily harm while impaired, dangerous operation of a conveyance causing bodily harm and refusing to provide a blood sample. He is also charged with two counts of failing to comply with the conditions of a release order.

Debris from the collision lay around three cars near the intersection on Friday. (Walther Bernal/CBC)

The man is also charged  under the Highway Traffic Act with driving without a valid licence and failing to exchange particulars.

The sedan did not have licence plates but did not appear to be stolen, Murray said.

Winnipeg police are still looking for witnesses to the crash, he said. There was initially only one officer at the scene, and while police briefly spoke with a few witnesses later, they were not able to get full statements from everyone.

Police are encouraging anyone who saw the incident to contact officers at 204-986-7085 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-8477.