9-year-old-girl dies in Macleod crash after robbery suspect ran red light: CPS
Posted Dec 26, 2024 11:03 am.
Last Updated Dec 27, 2024 12:00 pm.
A 9-year-old girl has died, and others are in life-threatening condition, after a multi-vehicle collision in south Calgary on Boxing Day.
Emergency crews were called to the intersection of Macleod Trail and Southland Drive around 9:50 a.m. Thursday for reports of a crash.
Calgary police say one of the vehicles in the crash was involved in a robbery about 18 minutes earlier at a Pharmasave location in Millrise. Police say a suspect assaulted a pharmacist and then fled the area in a stolen vehicle.
Officers found the suspect vehicle and tried to stop it, but the driver refused to stop and kept driving at high speeds.
Officers on the ground stopped following the suspect due to their unsafe driving, police say. HAWCS helicopter continued to track the suspect as they travelled north on Macleod Trail.
Police say the suspect ran a red light at Macleod and Southland Drive before crashing into multiple vehicles.
Witnesses tell CityNews that at least five vehicles were involved in a collision in the middle of the intersection.
Four people were rushed to hospital in life-threatening condition. Officers said at around 9:30 p.m. Thursday a 9-year-old girl had died in the hospital, adding no further information is available.
The driver was arrested at the scene and remains in custody. Police say charges are pending.
At least a dozen police cars and five EMS vehicles could be seen near the intersection as of 11:30 a.m. along with multiple badly damaged vehicles and debris all over the roadway.
Macleod Trail closed from 94 Avenue to 99 Avenue, along with Southland Drive from Horton Road SW to Bonaventure Drive SE for the investigation and cleanup.
Roads opened up at around 8 p.m. Thursday.
The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) is reviewing the incident due to the involvement of officers responding to the robbery.
The investigation into the crash is ongoing and anyone with information is urged to contact police.
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