Police said traffic will be impacted for several hours as officers investigate a fatal collision — involving what they suspect was a stolen car — that occurred near a high school on Edmonton’s north side on Tuesday morning.
Shortly before 7 a.m., police sent an email to media outlets saying 144th Avenue had been closed between 66th Street and 68th Street because of the crash.
“Major collision officers expect the area will be closed for the next several hours as they investigate,” police said. “This is very close to M.E. LaZerte High School.”
The wreckage of a car could been seen lying on the road.
A spokesperson for the Edmonton Public School Board said students were encouraged to quickly enter the school as they arrived for classes as police continued their investigation.
She noted that the school recognized some students may have “witnessed the aftermath of the crash” and asked those who want or need extra support to contact the school office.
A police officer at the scene later confirmed to Global News that the crash occurred shortly after 5 a.m. and that one person was killed.
Later, Acting Sgt. Jef Knull told Global News the person who died was a 26-year-old man. Knull said the vehicle was believed to have been stolen about 20 blocks away. Someone reported the theft of a vehicle that had been left running.
Knull said the crash occurred very soon after. He confirmed police officers had not been pursuing the vehicle that crashed.
They added that investigators believe speed played a role in the fatal event and that they will also look into whether impairment was a factor. They did not say if weather played a role in the crash but noted there were slightly wet road conditions at the time of the crash.
While police had limited details about what happened, they said investigators believe the car was headed east on 144th Avenue when it crashed.
“It lost control, exited the roadway (and) struck a pole,” Knull said, adding that security personnel from Londonderry Shopping Centre assisted school staff with trying to help “shield” students from the scene.
Knull said investigators hope anyone with video footage of what happened reaches out to police.