Police are investigating what led up to a collision in Red Deer early Tuesday morning in which they allege an ATV slammed into an RCMP cruiser at “a high rate of speed.”
The crash sent the ATV driver to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. He was later airlifted to hospital in Calgary. An RCMP officer who was in the vehicle that was hit was taken to hospital with minor injuries but has since been released.
“In the late night hours on Sept. 2, 2019, police observed an ATV, a motorcycle and a car driving carelessly and at high rates of speed through parking lots and city streets,” the RCMP said in a news release issued Tuesday. “Police also received several calls about these vehicles driving erratically.
“Red Deer RCMP attempted to isolate the incident. At no time did the RCMP pursue any of the vehicles due to concerns for public safety.”
Shortly after midnight, police said an ATV hit an RCMP vehicle head-on at the intersection of Taylor Drive and 67 Street.
“Red Deer RCMP along with an RCMP collision analyst remained on scene for several hours while the investigation continued,” police said. “No charges have been laid at this time and police continue to investigate.”
Anyone with information about what happened is asked to call the Red Deer RCMP at 403-343-5575, or their local police department. Tips can also be anonymously submitted to Crime Stoppers by calling 1-800-222-8477 or by contacting them online.