Two people are dead following an early morning crash at the intersection of Macleod Trail and 12 Avenue Southeast.
Shortly before 2:00 a.m. Saturday, emergency crews responded to the scene of the crash involving an Associated Cab, a Cadillac Escalade pickup truck and a Honda Civic.
Officials with the Calgary Police Service believe the Escalade ran a red light and was struck on the driver's side by the eastbound Civic. The impact of the collision sent the Escalade into a taxi, forcing the cab into the base of a street light.
Police have arrested and charged 20-year-old Ali Montoya, the driver of the Escalade, in connection to the crash.
According to EMS spokesperson Adam Loria, EMS crews transported six patients to hospital including two people in critical, life threatening condition.
The occupants of the taxi, 25-year-old Jillian Lavallee, and the driver, 46-year-old Amritpal Kharbanda, were transported to the Foothills Medical Centre.
Kharbanda succumbed to his injuries Saturday morning in hospital and Lavallee passed away a short time later.
The occupants of the Civic and Escalade, three men in their twenties and a man in his forties, are considered to be in stable, non-life threatening condition.
Daniel Hall witnessed the crash from a location above Macleod Trail.
“I was crossing the pedestrian overpass by Vic Park station and I watched the Escalade come screaming through the intersection at 17 Avenue heading north on Macleod Trail,” said Hall. “He was running the red light because there were pedestrians crossing just after he sped through.”
“He swerved to the left, he must have hit something, and went really hard to the right.”
The intersection was closed for several hours following the collision.
Ali Montoya faces charges of impaired driving causing death and two counts of impaired driving causing bodily harm. Police expect to upgrade the charges against Montoya given Lavallee's death.
