Quebec's police watchdog, the BEI, is investigating a serious crash involving at least six vehicles in Montreal's east end that sent four people to hospital Wednesday evening.
The pile up appears to have occurred as a driver was fleeing police, the BEI said on Thursday.
Urgences-Sante spokesperson Marc-André Gagnon said the crash happened shortly after 6:10 p.m. near the intersection of Notre-Dame Street East and Lebrun Avenue in the Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough.
A section of Notre-Dame was closed off to drivers as debris from mangled cars littered the street.
One man in his 30s, a man in his 80s and two women in their 80s and 60s were sent to various hospitals. None of their injuries are considered life-threatening, Gagnon said.
BEI INVESTIGATION
Thursday morning, the SPVM reported that the file has been transferred to the BEI.
The bureau said in an online summary of the events that it has assigned eight investigators to the case.
The BEI cites information that prompted its involvement, namely that a police officer noticed a vehicle committing an infraction, turned on his flashing lights, after which the vehicle "quickly fled the scene" and collided with the other vehicles.
"A parallel criminal investigation into events prior to the police intervention has been entrusted to the Sûreté du Québec," the announcement said.
