Innocent victim dead after 'reckless' road rage incident in southeast Calgary, police say
CBC
A 40-year-old woman was killed in a late-night road rage incident in southeast Calgary that police describe as brazen and reckless.
Police received multiple reports of two vehicles driving erratically on 36th Street S.E. at about 11:10 p.m. Tuesday, according to a news release. Witnesses said they saw a red Chevrolet Silverado pursuing a grey Volkswagen Jetta and gunfire exchanged between the vehicles.
The Silverado and Jetta collided at the intersection of 36th Street and 17th Avenue S.E. along with two other cars not involved in the chase. The occupants of the Silverado and Jetta continued to exchange gunfire before fleeing the scene on foot, according to Calgary police.
A woman driving a silver van, who was not involved in the road rage incident, was declared deceased at the scene. The woman leaves a family behind, Supt. Scott Boyd said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. Boyd said the exact cause of the woman's death is still unknown but an autopsy will be conducted in the coming days.
"It breaks our heart to think about, and our condolences and love go out from the Calgary Police Service to this family that now have to tragically process this information," said Boyd.
The driver of the other vehicle who was not involved in the incident was unharmed.
The man who fled from the Jetta was found nearby. He was taken to hospital with gunshot wounds and remains in stable condition. The two occupants of the red Silverado, a man and a woman, have not yet been located, police said.
Police say they are speaking with the man who was in the Jetta but have not yet charged anyone in relation to the incident.
Stray bullets from the incident struck at least two nearby homes on 36th Street S.E. No one in those homes was injured, according to police.
This is the 58th shooting incident that has taken place on Calgary streets this year, according to Boyd.
"The reckless and indiscriminate behaviour of the individuals in these vehicles resulted in several homes being struck by gunfire as well as the death of a woman we believe to be completely innocent," Boyd said earlier in a news release.
"This is a tragedy for our community and a complete disregard for public safety. We are committed to investigating this incident and holding those involved responsible."
The intersection of 17th Avenue and 36th Street S.E., where the collision occurred, was closed off late Tuesday night. Police said the area would remain closed to traffic until early Wednesday afternoon.
Investigation into the collision and shooting is ongoing. Police are asking anyone with cellphone or dashcam footage, or any information about the incident, to call the the Calgary Police Service at 403-266-1234 or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
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