A 30-year-old man has been charged in connection with a Boxing Day crash in Calgary that occurred after a police pursuit and that left a nine-year-old girl dead.
In an update provided on Friday, the Calgary Police Service said Alberta’s police watchdog determined “that the actions of the involved officers did not directly contribute to the collision.”
“Therefore, ASIRT (the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team) will have no further involvement in the matter,” police said.
ASIRT had been asked to determine whether the incident met the threshold for a full investigation.
The crash happened at about 9:50 a.m. on Thursday at the intersection of Macleod Trail and Southland Drive Southeast.
Police said investigators believe a minivan that had been stolen was travelling north on Macleod Trail, “driving erratically, weaving in and out of traffic.”
They said the driver of the minivan was a suspect in a pharmacy robbery that police were called to at about 9 a.m. in which a pharmacist was assaulted.
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Police said the minivan was being pursued by officers, but because of the erratic and unsafe way it was being driven, the pursuit was suspended and the vehicle was monitored by a police helicopter instead.
“(The minivan) approached the intersection of Macleod Trail and Southland Drive Southeast, failing to stop at a red light, and proceeded through the intersection at a high rate of speed,” the CPS said.
At the same time, police said an SUV and a car were heading west on Southland Drive Southeast.
The minivan hit both vehicles, and the collision sent the driver and two passengers of the car to hospital in life-threatening condition. One of the passengers was a nine-year-old girl who later died of her injuries. The other passenger was also a child. That victim remains in hospital in critical condition. The drivers of the two vehicles that were hit are also still in hospital — both were deemed to be in stable condition as of Friday afternoon.
Police noted that the initial collision led to an additional crash because it caused the car to hit a different SUV that was in the left turning lane of southbound Macleod Trail Southeast. The driver and passenger who were in that SUV sustained minor injuries while another that had been behind the SUV was also struck and saw two people suffer minor injuries.
The CPS said investigators are looking into whether speed and impairment may have played roles in the crash.
“We share the deep sadness felt by the family and loved ones who have had their lives forever changed by someone’s disregard for public safety,” said Acting Insp. Andy Woodward. “We continue to work with numerous areas and resources across the service to fully investigate the circumstances of this collision.
“The Victim Assistance Support Team and other resources have been made available to those impacted by this incident.”
Duane Arlen John Nepoose was arrested by police and charged with one count of robbery, one count of theft of a motor vehicle, one count of flight from a police officer, one count of dangerous driving, one count of dangerous driving causing death, one count of operating a vehicle without a licence, one count of operating a vehicle without registration, one count of operating a vehicle without insurance and three counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm.
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