Calgary police say a nine-year-old girl died and others were hospitalized after a robbery suspect was involved in a multi-vehicle crash on Thursday morning.
Police didn’t mince words describing the event.
“It was a horrific collision,” Duty Insp. Scott Campbell told reporters Thursday afternoon.
“Thankfully at this time, there weren’t more people involved but certainly our hearts go out to the families that were involved because it’s really a horrific scene.”
Campbell is describing a crash scene at Southland Drive and Macleod Trail S., but it started further south.
“We were called at around 9:30 a.m. … for reports of a pharmacy robbery that occurred at Pharmasave Millrise, located at 15 Millrise Blvd. S.W.,” investigators said.
“It is believed the suspect assaulted a pharmacist and fled the scene in a stolen vehicle.”
After locating the vehicle, officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver refused to stop and continued driving at high rates of speed.
Campbell said at one point, HAWCS estimated the speed at around 180 kilometres an hour.
Due to the suspect’s unsafe driving behaviour, as well as traffic in the area, they decided not to pursue the stolen vehicle on the ground but instead used a HAWCS helicopter to monitor the situation.
About 20 minutes later, the suspect ran a red light at Southland Drive and Macleod Trail, hitting several vehicles in the process.
Four people were seriously injured in the crash and taken to hospital in critical condition. Police confirmed Thursday night the youngest victim, a nine-year-old girl, died from her injuries.
The driver was arrested and charges are pending, police said.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is investigating the initial contact police had with the suspect, while police are asking for witnesses to the collision to contact them at 403-266-1234 or online.
“We have called in resources to help families deal with this, as well as witnesses,” Campbell said.