B.C. police pursuit that ended with 2 suspects dead was linked to homicide investigation: RCMP

A B.C. police pursuit that ended in a crash that killed two people has been linked to a homicide more than 300 kilometers away, according to an update from police.

On Saturday morning, Mounties in the Okanagan district of Summerland said they were called for reports of a burning car on Garnet Valley Road. After extinguishing the blaze, they found two dead bodies.

"Investigators now believe the two individuals in the vehicle died as a result of foul play, and a stolen vehicle was determined to be associated to this homicide," a statement from the Southeast District Major Crimes Unit issued Tuesday said.

A stolen vehicle was "flagged as having connection to the human remains," the statement continued.

On Sunday afternoon, officers with the Abbotsford Police Department attempted to stop a car that had been reported stolen, according to a media release, noting that a pursuit was authorized because the car in question was connected to a "violent crime in another jurisdiction."

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 spokesperson Const. Paul 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.

The Independent Investigations Office has been called in to probe the fatal crash because it happened in the course of a police pursuit. The watchdog is called in to examine any police-related incident that results in serious injury or death, regardless of whether there is an allegation of wrongdoing.

Meanwhile, the investigation into the homicide is ongoing, with Mounties saying it includes "identifying the victims and determining the extent of the stolen vehicle’s involvement."

With files from CTV News Vancouver's Regan Hasegawa.