(St. John’s, NL), May 12, 2020 – The Royal Newfoundland Constabulary (RNC) Traffic Services Section is investigating a fatal multi-vehicle collision that occurred in St. John’s on Monday evening.
On Monday, May 11, 2020, at approximately 8:05 p.m. a RNC Patrol Officer travelling East on Topsail Road, near McNamara Drive, in Paradise attempted to initiate a traffic safety stop with a vehicle that was also headed East on Topsail Road. The vehicle, a black Kia Soul, failed to stop for the officer and continued East bound on Topsail Road near Trails End Drive, at which time the officer disengaged. The RNC communications center had received multiple calls related to the operation of the noted suspect vehicle.
At 8:15 pm the RNC responded to the scene of a serious multi-vehicle collision on Topsail Road at Hamlyn Road in St. John’s. The black Kia Soul previously observed by an RNC patrol officer was involved in the collision, and the operator, a 25 year old man of St. John’s , was pronounced deceased. A 44 year old man of St. John’s who was operating another vehicle involved in the collision is also deceased. There were a total of six vehicles impacted, and the investigation in to the cause of the collision remains ongoing.
As in all cases where an RNC officer had some interaction regarding an incident that results in a serious injury or death, the Chief of Police has engaged the director of the Serious Incident Response Team of Newfoundland and Labrador (SIRT-NL) to conduct an independent investigation.
Anyone who may have witnessed this collision or anyone who may have CCTV or dash camera footage which captured the time leading up to the collision on Topsail Road, from Paradise, Mount Pearl or St. John’s, are asked to call RNC Accident Investigators at 709-729-8000.
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File # 2020-22489
Cst. James C. Cadigan #775
Media Relations Officer
Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
(709) 729-8658