Police pursuit ends in fatal crash just outside Winnipeg

A police chase that started in Winnipeg ended in a deadly crash of a stolen vehicle just west of the city.

It happened just after 12 a.m. near Wescana Street and Roblin Boulevard in south Headingley, a rural municipality ​just west of Winnipeg.

Ashley Hamilton was awakened by the commotion.

"I woke up to my room illuminated by lights and looked out the window to see at least 20 emergency response vehicles parked on the street with lights on," she said, adding a helicopter was also circling in the area.

"It was hard to tell, from what we could see it looked like there was a vehicle that had been overturned."

Hamilton, who was about 100 yards from the scene, said she was told a male was killed in the crash. A second male, a passenger in the vehicle, was found hiding on the doorstep of her neighbour's home.

Investigator's were on scene for several hours but finally left at about 6 a.m., she said.

Vehicle stolen, used during break in

The events leading to the crash began just after 11 p.m. in the 700 block of Cavalier Drive in Winnipeg's Crestview neighbourhood.

Police were called about a suspicious vehicle believed to be related to a break in at a business that happened a short time earlier in the 800 block of Cavalier.

Officers spotted the vehicle near Portage Avenue and Moray Street and tried to make it stop but the driver sped off.

The AIR1 police helicopter was called in and crews on the ground ended their pursuit near William Clement Parkway and Grant Avenue. AIR1 tracked the vehicle along Roblin to Wescana where it crashed into the ditch.

The driver was rushed to hospital in critical condition and later died from his injuries.

According to police, the vehicle was stolen earlier in the evening and was used for the break in.

No further information is available at this time.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call investigators at 204-986-2877 or Crime Stoppers at 204-786-TIPS (8477).