Police say two teenagers were among the dead in a single-vehicle crash in Fredericton early Sunday morning that claimed the lives of three people and left two others with injuries.
During a news conference Monday, Fredericton police Chief Martin Gaudet said the victims were a 17-year-old boy, a 16-year-old girl and a 22-year-old man.
As well, a 16-year-old boy was critically injured and airlifted to the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, and a 14-year-old girl was treated for injuries.
“It’s a tragedy for the community, it’s a parent’s worst nightmare, and it’s a difficult call for first responders to attend,” Gaudet said.
Out of respect for the victims’ families, police are not releasing the names of the deceased. They are also not disclosing the relationships between the people in the car.
Speed was the main factor
Gaudet said shortly before 1 a.m. Sunday, officers attempted to stop a vehicle approaching a patrol car at a high speed.
“Our officer activated the emergency lights, but the vehicle failed to stop. The officer lost sight of the vehicle in question and disengaged,” he said.
Police responded to the car crash in the 700 block of Douglas Avenue, on the city’s north side, a short time later.
Investigators believe the vehicle hit a curb and became airborne before hitting another parked vehicle, which was occupied by four men. The men did not sustain serious injuries, Gaudet said.
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Speed was the main factor behind the crash, which happened in a suburban area.
“In this particular case, the driver was clearly going far too fast for the conditions and lost control,” Gaudet said.
The Fredericton Police Force continues to investigate the incident, and is working to determine who was driving the car at the time.
“It’s not been an easy task to figure out who the driver was,” Gaudet said. “That’s part of the criminal investigation.”
In a statement, Anglophone West School District superintendent David McTimoney said the incident impacted Leo Hayes High School “as well as smaller groups of students at other Fredericton-area schools.”
“This difficult news has an impact on many students, families, and staff in our school community,” he said, adding that there is a crisis events response team in place at Leo Hayes High School.
“In visiting the school this morning, it was clear that staff and students were in good hands and getting the support they needed. Supports will remain in place as long as they are needed,” he said. “I am sure the community shares our collective grief following this terrible accident.”
‘This could happen to anybody’
Nellie St-Germain, who lives on the street where the crash happened, said she was getting ready for bed that night when she heard “squealing tires” followed by a loud “crunch.”
She went outside and saw lots of smoke and other neighbours coming out of their houses. Police and fire personnel were there minutes later.
“It was shocking…. The whole front end (of the vehicle) was gone,” she said. “I’ve never witnessed anything that traumatizing.”
St-Germain said the neighbourhood is shocked and is thinking of the victims’ families.
She said it’s common for cars to speed through the area, and is calling for a more robust police presence and other traffic-calming measures.
“I just want people to see this in hopes that it may help one young person — or any person that loves speed — to realize that they’re not invincible and this could happen to anybody,” she said.
Gaudet said police have received complaints of speeding cars, not just in the Douglas Avenue area, but from all around the city.
He said the road is currently “very well built,” but suggested that officers may step up their presence in the area.
— with files from Silas Brown
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