A Calgary man has been charged with driving while impaired with cannabis in a single-vehicle collision that resulted in the death of a 24-year-old woman.
At around 3:50 p.m. on May 31, 2022, police responded to a serious-injury collision that was initially believed to involve a pedestrian on Barclay Street S.W. (3 Street S.W.) and 7 Avenue S.W. Police shut down the street for a portion of the afternoon.
Traffic investigators discovered the pedestrian was a passenger who was thrown from the vehicle during the incident.
A black Kia Soul was being driven by a 26-year-old man with a 24-year-old woman in the front passenger seat. The small SUV was stopped on the west side of the road facing south when it suddenly reversed and turned to face north, crossing the road.
“During the sudden movements, the passenger fell out of the front passenger door and was run over by the vehicle,” a CPS statement said. “The Kia then struck a parked and unoccupied vehicle on the east side of the road.”
Police said the passenger was trapped under the vehicle and bystanders came to her aid.
The woman was rushed to hospital, where she died of her injuries.
Police said the driver was found unconscious at the scene and was also transported to hospital.
During the course of investigations, police found the driver had a quantity of THC from cannabis over the legal limit while operating the vehicle.
Police charged 26-year-old Steven Nathaniel Watkins with operating a motor vehicle while impaired and operating a motor vehicle while impaired causing death.
Watkins is due to appear in court on Feb. 27.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the CPS non-emergency line at 403-266-1234. Anonymous tips can also be provided to Crime Stoppers.
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