Two dead, three injured after suspected drunk driver flees checkstop, drives wrong way on Yellowhead Trail

WATCH: Lisa Wolansky has community and police reaction to a tragic weekend on Alberta roads.

EDMONTON – RCMP believe a fatal head on collision on Yellowhead Trail early Sunday morning may have been the result of a drunk driver avoiding a checkstop.

Sherwood Park RCMP were conducting the traffic stop looking for impaired drivers just east of Beverley Bridge around 3:00 a.m..

They say a black Toyota Camry approached the checkstop, did a U-turn and accelerated westbound in the eastbound lanes.

Witnesses say the vehicle was travelling about 150 kilometres an hour when it collided, head on, with an eastbound Mercedes. The force of the impact caused the Mercedes to collide with a Chevrolet Cobalt.

The Camry was found on its roof in the green space between the east and west bound lanes of Yellowhead Trail, at approximately 35 Street.

The 21-year-old male driver of the Camry and a 21-year-old female passenger located in the rear seat were pronounced deceased on scene. A 22-year-old male occupying the front passenger seat sustained severe injuries and was treated and transported to hospital.

The 33-year-old male driver of the Mercedes SUV sustained severe injuries, and was treated and taken to hospital. The 23-year-old female driver of the Cobalt was also treated and taken to hospital as a precaution for a less severe injury.

RCMP suspect alcohol and speed were factors.

“It’s a hot long weekend and this is what we were dreading might happen. This is totally preventable,” said Const. Rick Evans.

“It’s a sad irony. We’re out here trying to do our best to prevent this kind of thing from happening.”

Police closed Yellowhead trail for several hours to investigate.

Due to the circumstances involved, ASIRT has been directed to conduct a review of the police investigation.

These are Edmonton’s 17^th and 18^th traffic fatalities of 2015.