A man was killed and a woman was sent to hospital after a northwest Calgary crash on Tuesday.
Emergency crews were called to a single-vehicle collision 14 Street and Macewan Drive N.W. at around 4:15 a.m., police said.
EMS said a man in his late 30s was found dead at the scene, and a woman in her early 20s was transported to Foothills Medical Centre in critical, life-threatening condition.
As a Nissan Maxima travelled north on 14 Street at a “high rate of speed,” the man driving it lost control as the vehicle approached Macewan Drive, police said. The Maxima began to rotate clockwise, going over the east curb and striking a pole on the intersection’s northeast corner, officers said.
An area resident, who only wanted to be identified as Ray, told Global News he heard loud vehicle noises and what sounded like a “bomb going off.”
Ray said he wouldn’t be surprised if street racing of some kind was involved in the crash.
“It’s happened before. Two years ago, we lost our mailbox to street racing.”
Global News reached out to Ward 4 Coun. Sean Chu to ask if he has heard about street racing or speeding complaints in the area, but he has yet to respond.
Although police didn’t confirm if street racing was the cause of the fatal crash, Sgt. Dylan Harris did tell Global News they believe speed was a factor.
“Due to the impact, of the damage to the vehicle, and looking at the marks on the road… you can tell that there was significant speed involved,” Harris said.
“We’re still investigating whether alcohol and drugs also played a role.”
Police confirmed at around 4:45 p.m. that excessive speed was a factor.
The crash closed 14 Street between Berkshire Boulevard N.W. and Macewan Drive N.W.
– With files from Carolyn Kury de Castillo