ST. JOHN'S, N.L. — Minutes before a multi-vehicle collision in St. John's that claimed two lives on Monday evening, the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary says it was attempting to initiate a traffic safety stop one of the vehicles involved in the fatal collision.
In a news release Tuesday morning, the RNC says one of its patrol officers attempted to stop the driver of black Kia Soul traveling east on Topsail Road near McNamara Drive in Paradise at 8:05 p.m. The driver refused to stop and continued traveling eastbound nears Trails End Drive, at which point the officer disengaged efforts to stop the vehicle.
The RNC says its communications center had received multiple calls related to the operation of the noted suspect vehicle.
Ten minutes later, that same vehicle was involved in the multi-vehicle collision at the intersection of Topsail Road and Hamlyn Road.
The driver, a 25-year-old man from St. John's, was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The driver of another of the six-vehicles involved, a 44-year-old from St. John's, also died at the scene.
The RNC says the investigation into the cause of the collision remains ongoing.
Anyone who may have witnessed this collision or anyone who may have CCTV or dash camera footage which captured the time leading up to the collision on Topsail Road, from Paradise, Mount Pearl, or St. John’s, are asked to call RNC Accident Investigators at (709) 729-8000.
In the meantime, where an RNC officer interacted with an incident that resulted in serious injury or death, Chief Joe Boland has engaged the director of the Serious Incident Response Team of Newfoundland and Labrador (SIRT-NL) to conduct an independent investigation.
SIRT-NL director Mike King says he has engaged the RCMP to conduct an independent investigation, with SIRT-NL oversight, into the actions of the RNC with regard to the fatal collision. An update will be provided following the conclusion of the investigation.
"As the investigation is ongoing, it would be inappropriate to comment further," reads a statement from King.
