EDMONTON — A police review agency says several Alberta RCMP officers involved in a high speed chase that killed two people won’t face any charges.
The crash happened Nov. 19 just east of the community of Hinton, while police were chasing a stolen van that was veering in and out of both lanes of Highway 16 at up to 140 kilometres an hour.
The 21-year-old driver of the van, who was driving the wrong way in the westbound lane, was killed instantly when his vehicle collided with a pickup truck.
The 30-year-old male driver of the pickup was also killed.
Clifton Purvis, executive director of the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, says the four RCMP vehicles involved in the chase faced a significant dilemma — it was dangerous to allow the driver of the stolen vehicle to continue and it was also dangerous for police to give chase.
Purvis says the Mounties involved in the incident may not have made the best decision to continue the pursuit, but he says that’s really for the RCMP to decide.