2 dead after car crashes into Laval, Que., gym following police interception attempt

2 dead after car crashes into Laval, Que., gym following police interception attempt

Laval police say vehicle was driving too fast when it crashed into gym

Two people died in a car crash in Laval, Que., after police attempted to stop a vehicle travelling without a licence plate.

According to Laval police spokesperson Nicolas Mongeau, officers attempted to pull the vehicle over at around 1:20 a.m. on Wednesday on Ouimet Street, but the driver accelerated and fled the scene.

Mongeau said the vehicle fled northbound on des Laurentides Boulevard. But because the vehicle was travelling too fast, the officers called off their interception attempt. The vehicle then crashed into Atlantis Gym.

The driver, whose identity could not be confirmed by Mongeau, was pronounced dead at the scene.

There were two passengers in the vehicle at the time of the incident, and they were both taken to hospital.

One of them, a 19-year-old woman, was declared dead at the hospital, Mongeau explained.

The other passenger, a 19-year-old man, is in critical condition.

Several investigators were at the scene of the incident on Wednesday and a command post has been set up.

Des Laurentides Boulevard was closed in both directions Wednesday and police are asking the public to avoid the area.

The gym's facade was damaged, and the car was thrown several metres away after the impact.

Geneviève Spenard-Bourdua, the general manager of Atlantis Gym, told Radio-Canada that the facility would be closed for the day.