A 17-year-old male youth has been released without charges following a single-vehicle accident Friday morning in Hammonds Plains, N.S., that claimed the life of another teen.
The crash happened at 9:15 a.m. on Rochester Drive. Police say the vehicle went off the road and overturned in a ditch adjacent to the roadway.
A second 17-year-old male youth, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene.
“Our sympathies are with the victims family and of course the drivers family at this time,” said Cpl. Jennifer Clarke, RCMP.
READ: Teen killed in single-vehicle crash in Hammonds Plains, N.S.
Rochester Drive was blocked to vehicle and pedestrian traffic for much of the day and a collision analyst was called to examine evidence at the scene.
Investigators are still trying to piece together what led to the fatal crash – including whether speed was a factor and if seat belts were being worn by the two teens.
“That is very likely something that will be checked by our analyst. We can certainly determine whether or not the seat belts were in use at the time of the collision,” said Clarke.
Global News has learned the victim was a grade 12 student at Charles P. Allen High School in Bedford, N.S.
“The Halifax Regional School Board is deeply saddened by this tragedy. Our hearts and thoughts are with the student’s family and friends, as well as the entire school community, at this time,” said the Halifax Regional School Board in a statement.
A newsletter sent by the school to members of the community says that counsellors, a psychologist and other school board staff will be available to students in the coming days as needed.
READ MORE: 17-year-old charged with stunting after vehicle clocked at 75 km/h over speed limit
The driver was arrested following the crash for dangerous driving and taken to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries.
“When the evidence does exist, we do arrest people if the grounds are there. In this case, that appears to have happened,” said Clarke.
Once someone is taken into custody police have 24 hours to determine whether or not a charge will be laid.
By Friday afternoon, the teen driver was released without any charges. RCMP say their investigation remains ongoing and it may or may not result in a charge being laid at a later date.
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