Driver who died after crashing into building was drunk: report

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This article was published 06/10/2022 (1105 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A driver fleeing from police was going more than twice the speed limit when his car slammed into a Selkirk Avenue pizzeria in April.

The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba released its report on the incident today and found no fault with the actions of the police officer involved.

The 27-year-old driver of the car, who was killed in the April 9 crash, was not identified by police at the time or in the IIU report. The report states the car was going 109 km/h in a 50 km/h zone when it slammed into the Pizzarama at 518 Selkirk Ave. that night.

The driver’s blood alcohol level was more than 2.5 times the legal limit for driving, the report states.

The incident started when a police officer in the area of McGregor Street and Selkirk Avenue noticed a grey Mazda 6 travelling westbound on Selkirk shortly after 9 p.m., the report states. The driver of the car signalled to turn left, then cancelled the turn and proceeded straight.

The driver of the car pulled over while the officer was checking the licence plate. The officer found the vehicle’s registration had lapsed, and the Mazda started heading east on Selkirk.

The police SUV followed the car, which turned right onto McGregor.

“When the WPS officer turned right onto McGregor Street, he observed the Mazda in a parking lot with the rear passenger door open and two or three pedestrians nearby,” the report states.

After the car drove west on Flora Avenue, in front of the police vehicle, the officer turned on his emergency lights for the first time. The car sped off, and the WPS officer turned off his emergency lights and decided not to pursue the car.

“According to GPS data, the police SUV never exceeded a speed of 63 km/h,” the report states.

The Mazda turned right onto McKenzie Street and eventually turned eastbound onto Selkirk. The Mazda went through a red light at Selkirk and McGregor, lost control and crashed into the building.

The crash happened at about 9:11 p.m. The driver of the car was taken to Health Science Centre and pronounced dead at 9:50 p.m.

“I am satisfied that the WPS officer was not in a pursuit of the Mazda,” IIU civilian director Zane Tessler states in the report. “The decision to evade police by accelerating and driving at significantly high rates of speed was the sole decision of (the driver,) who is solely responsible for the collision and aftermath.”

No employees of the Pizzarama were hurt in the crash, but the building sustained extensive damage, the owner told the Free Press in April.

adam.treusch@freepress.mb.ca