BEI investigating deadly car crash near Lacolle border

CTV Montreal: Crash near border The Bureau of Independent Investigations is examining a deadly car crash involving police near the Lacolle border.

The Bureau of Independent Investigations is examining a deadly car crash involving police near the Lacolle border.

Around 3 a.m. a car was speeding at roughly 165 km/h on Highway 202 when Sureté du Quebec officers turned on their lights and sirens.

It appears they began a pursuit, but within moments, the driver of the speeding car lost control.

The car flipped several times, coming to halt near a large propane storage tank in front of a store.

Martin Bonin-Charron of the BEI said that police stopped the chase moments after it began.

"They decided to stop the emergency lights and realizing that they couldn't catch up with the vehicle so they turned them off. And at this moment they saw a red light in the distance that wasn't moving any more. And at that time they decided to meet the red light and discovered the vehicle that was heavily damaged," he said.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene but the 34-year-old driver was already dead.

Highway 202 was closed while police -- including collision reconstruction teams from the Montreal police -- examined the crash.

Nine hours later the highway was still closed as police did their work.

Because the death occurred during a police pursuit, the civilian oversight board for police, Quebec's Bureau of Independent Investigation (BEI) has taken over the case.

The public security ministry has established guidelines on how to handle certain situations including car chases, but it is up to the police forces to use those guidelines to determine their own protocols.

The first rule in deciding to pursue a high-speed chase or not is safety, said former SQ lieutenant Francois Dore, who is now a police analyst.

“Try to catch the driver, but if it put your life or his life in danger, stop it,” he said, adding there are several factors to consider.

“What are the road conditions, what is the weather, how well-lit it is,” he said.

Investigators looking into the deadly crash are calling on any witnesses who may have heard or seen anything to come forward.