By Roger White

Police pursued suspicious vehicle prior to fatal crash

Sep 25, 2017 | 10:15 AM

The truck involved in a fatal crash which killed three women on Friday was involved in a police pursuit roughly 30 minutes before its collision near Lloydminster, according to new details provided by the RCMP. 

Maidstone RCMP said collison happened after 3 a.m. Friday morning when a heavy duty, flat deck truck collided with a minivan in the eastbound lane.

The crash happened after officers investigated three suspicious vehicles in the area and located them near the junction of Highway 303 and Highway 16 at roughly 2:30 a.m. 

Before the crash, police attempted to pull over a three quarter ton, heavy duty, flat deck truck, but the vehicle fled the scene. A pursuit was initiated, but according to a media release from the provincial division, members terminated the pursuit after directed by a supervisor.

“Given that pursuits pose a serious risk to the public, the RCMP developed national policy that outlines the requirements for initiating a pursuit,” F Division commanding officer, assistant commissioner Curtis Zablocki said in the release.

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“In this case, a pursuit was initiated, quickly assessed and a decision to terminate was made for safety reasons,” Zablocki said.

Zablocki said the truck’s collision with the mini-van occurred approximately 35 minutes after the pursuit was terminated and no police vehicles were in the vicinity of the collision when it hapened. 

Two women aged 37 and 35 were pronounced dead at the scene while a 53-year-old woman later died of her injuries. A 32-year-old woman remains in critical condition in the Edmonton hospital. 

The women, who were members of Edmonton’s Liberian community, were travelling to Minnesota to visit family when the collision occurred.

A mass was held at the Solid Rock International Ministries in Edmonton to mourn the victims on Sunday.

Maidstone RCMP are releasing few details about the 26-year-old man who was taken into custody following the collision Friday. RCMP say the investigation is continuing to determine with others may have been involved in the incident.

roger.white@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @RJWtheReporter