Calgary police are urging drivers to exercise more caution after a string of Saturday crashes left six people injured.
The first one involved an initial car crash, then a chase, and resulted in two pedestrians being hit. Police said one of the victims suffered life-altering injuries.
A car first rear-ended a truck and it didn’t stop. The truck pursued the car through downtown. Just after 5 p.m., police said the car drove through a red light at 5 Avenue and 1 Street SE and hit two pedestrians in a crosswalk.
The car, still being pursued by the truck, fled the downtown to a northeast Calgary home. Both drivers were found and taken into custody.
An off-duty paramedic helped the pedestrian victims until EMS arrived. Both were transported to the hospital in serious condition.
Excessive speed and alcohol are believed to be factors for the car driver. Charges are pending. The driver of the truck is also facing charges.
“What began as a simple property damage collision, almost led to catastrophic results. We cannot stress this enough – do not follow drivers when they flee the scene of an accident. Call 9-1-1 and follow the direction of the Emergency Communications Officers,” said Collision Reconstruction Unit Sgt. Colin Foster in a media statement.
Two additional car crashes
While attending the downtown pedestrian crash, another serious collision happened at 6:40 p.m. Saturday at Blackfoot Trail and Highfield Road.
Roads in the area were shut down for several hours.
According to police, a 2005 Toyota Corolla was travelling southbound on Blackfoot Trail, turning into the casino. It was hit by a 2021 black Jeep Cherokee going northbound.
Police said the Jeep was thrown into the traffic light pole on the north side of the intersection before continuing on for a distance before coming to rest.
The driver of the Toyota suffered critical, life-threatening injuries, while the Jeep driver suffered none, police said.
Excessive speed is being investigated.
Another turn collision was recorded in the southwest when a driver attempted a left turn into the path of an oncoming vehicle. This happened around 10 p.m. at the intersection of Woodpark Avenue and 24 Street SW.
Both drivers were taken to the hospital but have been upgraded to stable condition.
“This has been a deadly and dangerous week for Calgary motorists. Please slow down, drive with care, and do not drive impaired. 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,” said Foster.
