Quebec’s police watchdog has taken over an investigation into an incident that saw a 39-year-old civilian seriously injured early Friday morning in Montreal.
In a statement, the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI) said two Sûreté du Québec (SQ) patrol cars were chasing a vehicle, first on Highway 40 west, then on Highway 25 south, at around 2:45 a.m. Friday.
The SQ chased the vehicle for “approximately 28 kilometres,” during which time the fleeing vehicle was travelling at a speed of between 60 and 160 kilometres an hour, according to the BEI.
The driver being pursued by the SQ was reportedly “displaying signs of impairment.”
The BEI says the vehicle collided with “at least one” of the two patrol cars in pursuit, at which point the driver lost consciousness. Images obtained by Global News indicate that this collision took place in the Lafontaine Tunnel, shortly before Highway 25’s conclusion.
The driver has been transported to hospital, where his injuries are described as life-threatening, the BEI says.
Montreal police are partnering with the BEI in its investigation into the incident: the force says it will provide two collision reconstruction experts to the BEI.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact the BEI on its website.