New information leads Quebec police watchdog to investigate fatal car crash

Quebec’s police watchdog has opened an investigation into a deadly crash after a vehicle allegedly attempted to flee police in early August.

The driver and one of the two passengers in the car died after their vehicle crashed into a gym in the early hours of Aug. 5, in Laval, north of Montreal.

Spokesperson Jérémie Comtois says the watchdog had initially decided not to investigate the incident, but new information led them to reverse that decision Thursday.

Police have not released the age of the driver, but said both passengers in the car were 19 years old.

Laval police previously said officers tried to stop the car after it was spotted without a licence plate.

Police also previously said officers abandoned their attempt to chase the vehicle when it accelerated drastically.

Eventually, the driver lost control and crashed into a fitness centre, police said at the time of the accident.

The Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes usually launches investigations in the hours or days following an incident implicating police, confirmed Comtois, but a few investigations have been launched weeks or months after the fact as new information comes in.

“It’s really diverse depending on the situation. … Most of our investigations, we launch them as soon as possible,” he said.