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Grandparents, grandchild among 4 dead in wrong-way 401 pursuit crash

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A Durham Regional Police car is shown at a Bowmanville, Ont. shopping centre parking lot on Tuesday Feb. 28, 2023. Police say a pursuit that began with a call about a robbery in a community northeast of Toronto has ended with a deadly crash. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Doug Ives

WHITBY, Ont. — Ontario's police watchdog says two grandparents and their infant grandchild are among four people who died in a multi-vehicle crash on Highway 401 in Whitby when a suspect vehicle driving the wrong way was being chased by police. 

The Special Investigations Unit says the person in the suspect vehicle also died. 

SIU spokesperson Monica Hudon says Durham Region police became aware of a robbery at an LCBO in Clarington, Ont., around 7:50 p.m. on Monday and found a cargo van of interest. 

Hudon says the officers followed the van through numerous streets and at some point the van got on to Highway 401 going in the wrong direction. 

She says there was a multi-vehicle collision shortly afterwards involving at least six vehicles. 

The SIU is now investigating the circumstances of the crash and what happened, including the police pursuit. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 30, 2024.

The Canadian Press


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