Two people died on Highway 40 near Saint-Barthélemy in the Lanaudière region on Sunday when they were involved in a head-on collision while trying to flee police officers. The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes has launched an investigation.
The incident began around 2:40 p.m. when police officers were called in regarding a “surveillance notice” issued by the Repentigny municipal police force regarding a suspicious vehicle. The reason for the notice was not disclosed by law enforcement.
About 30 minutes later, a police officer reportedly located the vehicle in question on Highway 40 eastbound in Lanoraie.
Shortly after, a second officer reportedly arrived on the scene and the two patrol vehicles followed the suspect vehicle without turning on their flashing lights.
“A few kilometres later, one of the officers turned on his flashing lights, but the vehicle involved continued eastbound,” the Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes (BEI) said in a press release summarizing the facts.
“Following various manoeuvres, the vehicle involved travelled in the opposite direction and caused a collision at kilometre 157 in Saint-Barthélemy with another vehicle carrying two passengers,” the BEI added.
The deaths of the two people in the suspect vehicle were confirmed on site. The passengers in the other vehicle were injured and taken to hospital, but their lives are not believed to be in danger.
Since the BEI looks into all cases where a person, other than a police officer on duty, dies or suffers a serious injury during a police intervention, an investigation has been opened. Six investigators have been assigned to this case.
The Service de police de la Ville de Montréal will act as a support police force during this investigation.
–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews