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Police Pursuit Leads to Multi-Vehicle Collision in West Edmonton
A sequence of events initiated by a stolen truck led to a significant traffic incident on Tuesday night in west Edmonton. The vehicle, being pursued by authorities, ran a red light, resulting in a chain-reaction crash that disrupted traffic at a major intersection.
The incident took place at the crossroads of Stony Plain Road and 178th Street after the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) received reports of a truck exhibiting erratic driving behavior only a few kilometers away on the city’s western fringes.
Police responded around 2:30 p.m. in an unmarked cruiser, locating the Dodge Ram in a convenience store parking lot near 106th Avenue and Winterburn Road. Upon checking the vehicle’s license plate, officers discovered it had been reported stolen.
Following the pickup truck discreetly, the EPS monitored its movement throughout west Edmonton, evaluating a safe moment to execute a traffic stop.
During the pursuit, officers noted the truck was not only driving along the shoulder but also disregarding traffic signals, including running a stop sign and a red light.
Attempted Traffic Stop and Consequences
The vehicle eventually returned to the same convenience store lot, where police attempted to disable it. However, efforts to strategically halt the truck using specialized techniques near 209th Street and Stony Plain Road were unsuccessful. The truck accelerated away, driving through a ditch and into oncoming traffic.
Although the officers chose not to pursue the truck, it soon entered the intersection of 178th Street while disregarding a red light, colliding with a Purolator delivery truck traveling north at that moment.
This collision resulted in the delivery truck hitting three other vehicles that had been stopped and waiting at the light, including two SUVs and another car, leading to visible damage at the scene.
After the crash, the driver of the truck fled on foot but was apprehended shortly thereafter in a nearby hotel parking lot.
As a precaution, a passenger from one of the halted vehicles was transported to the hospital; fortunately, no serious injuries were reported among the other individuals involved.
Upon searching the abandoned truck, police discovered a shotgun along with ammunition. The EPS major collisions unit was deployed to the accident site, which remained closed for several hours as an investigation was conducted.
Police noted that multiple charges are expected to be filed against the driver as the investigation progresses.
Source
globalnews.ca