Two men are dead after their white Jeep careened into a Renfrew house and caught fire at around 1:30 a.m. yesterday.
Police say the Jeep, driven by a man with a suspended licence, crashed into the house on the corner of 10th Street and Child Avenue shortly after a K-9 unit tried to pull it over.
Blair White, acting superintendent for the Calgary Police Service, said Const. Jens Lind turned on his lights after running the plates on the suspicious vehicle with two males in it, and finding it was registered to a female.
This, combined with the area and time of night, caused him to investigate.
Once Lind flipped on his lights the car sped away; he then turned off his lights and begun searching the area, said Roy Fitzpatrick, assistant director with ASIRT, the unit that investigates incidents involving officers. He added that there was no evidence of a pursuit.
Three minutes later Lind came upon the scene, where the fire was extinguished, according to police.
“With disregard for his own safety he approached the vehicle, but was unable to free the passenger,” said White.
One man was pronounced dead at the scene. The other died in hospital.
Sable Sweetgrass, who videotaped the moments after the crash from her doorstep across the street, told a different story from police.
“It was obvious to me that (Lind) was in pursuit of this person because as soon as I came out, he was right there,” said Sweetgrass.
“It just seemed like the police officer was being very casual about it. He didn’t seem to be rushing or anything.”
She said she heard someone calling for help from inside the vehicle.
A 52-year old woman inside the house was taken to hospital with minor injuries.
