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.
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