2 dead after police chase involving allegedly stolen vehicle in Abbotsford
Two people are dead and B.C.'s police watchdog is investigating following a police pursuit that ended in a horrific crash.
Abbotsford police say the incident began at around 3 p.m. Sunday.
Officers spotted an allegedly stolen vehicle, a 1991 White Acura Integra. near Livingston Avenue and Maclure Road.
They lost sight of the car not long after so no attempts to stop the vehicle were made.
A little over an hour later, officers relocated it in the area of Hillcrest Avenue and Emerson Street.
“Contact was made between police vehicles and the stolen vehicle and based on information that the vehicle was involved in a recent violent crime in another jurisdiction, a decision to enter a police pursuit was authorized,” said Sgt. Paul Walker of the Abbotsford Police Department in a news release.
Police have not provided details on what crime was or where it happened.
During the police pursuit, the alleged stolen vehicle lost control, crashing on Maclure Road near Clearbrook Road.
“No other civilians or civilian cars were involved in the collision,” wrote Walker.
The woman in the passenger seat of the Acura died on scene.
The driver was taken to hospital, but he later died as well.
The crumpled Acura was barely recognizable as it was towed away from the scene covered by a blue tarp.
A police vehicle was also taken away on a tow truck.
The AbbyPD Major Crime Unit and Integrated Collision Analysis Reconstruction Service are investigating.
Faisal Waheed lives next to the crash scene and says he heard a screech quickly followed by lots of sirens.
“It was pretty loud and there were a lot of police,'' said Waheed.
He looked over his back fence to see what had happened and saw police standing around a badly damaged car in the median.
“They were wrapping up a body,” he described.
Because officers were involved in the moments leading up to the crash, the Independent Investigations Office of B.C. is now investigating too.
“Certainly the risk the individuals in the car pose to the public, if they're not caught, is a very relevant factor in determining the potential justification for a pursuit and actions of police taken during that pursuit,” said Ronald MacDonald, the chief civilian director of the Independent Investigations Office.
MacDonald declined to provide more details about the circumstances of the crash in order to avoid impacting the memories of any potential witnesses.
“There will be some complex issues, as there often are with pursuit cases, we will look at those very carefully and make a decision in the due course,” MacDonald told CTV News.
Anyone in the area at the time of the crash who may have dashcam video or information is asked to contact the Abbotsford Police Department at 604-859-5225.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.