No charges laid in connection to WinSport sliding track fatalities

Two of eight teens were killed when they went down the sliding track at COP on February 6th 2016 on plastic sleds.

Calgary police have concluded an investigation into the death of two young men on the sliding track at Canada Olympic Park and say no charges will be laid in the tragic incident.

Police were called to the track at about 1:10 a.m. on Saturday, February 6th and say eight teens between the ages of 16 and 19 parked their vehicles on Paskapoo Drive S.W. and then climbed over a locked, seven foot fence with three sleds in tow.

The investigation revealed that the teens then went to the start of the bobsleigh track.

The bobsleigh and luge tracks are separated at turn five by a large gate that is about two feet high and 60 feet wide and has a thick metal chain and come-along bar to hold it in place.

Police say Evan Caldwell and two others climbed aboard one sled and started down the track with Caldwell in the rear seat.

They made it under the chain but hit the gate, pushing it into the centre of the track. The group then fell off the sled and two of the injured teens slid further down the track.

A second group of three teens then went down the track, unaware of what had occurred, and as they entered turn five, saw the chain as they passed underneath it.

They then struck one of the injured teens who was lying on the track and all were thrown from their sled.

One member of the party jumped off the track and tried to run back up to the starting point to warn the last two teens but they had already started down the run.

Jordan Caldwell was at the front of the third sled and another teen was behind him, when he also hit the chain.

One of the teens from the group was able to use a cell phone to call 911 for help.

The office of the Chief Medical Examiner has determined that the Caldwell brothers died from multiple blunt force trauma.

Police say drugs and alcohol are not believed to be a contributing factor in the crashes.

All of the surviving teens have since been released from hospital but at least one will have life-altering injuries.

Police have interviewed the surviving teens and conducted a thorough investigation and say no charges will be laid in the incident.

WinSport issued a statement on Monday saying “Our continued thoughts are with the families of those affected by the incident. We want to thank the Calgary Police Service for their work in their investigation. WinSport’s investigation is ongoing.”

Police say no further details will be released on the matter and that it is not a criminal incident.