A 17-year-old driver remains in hospital with critical injuries following a single-vehicle crash in Calgary's Southview neighbourhood on Thursday afternoon. Calgary police responded to the scene near the intersection of 26 Avenue Southeast and 34 Street Southeast at approximately 1:30 p.m. local time, where an SUV had left the roadway and struck several parked vehicles.
Driver Airlifted to Hospital
Emergency crews transported the teen to Foothills Medical Centre in critical condition. As of Friday morning, the driver remains hospitalized. Police have not released the driver's name or gender, citing the ongoing investigation and the young age of the individual involved.
Witnesses told CTV News that the SUV was traveling eastbound on 26 Avenue Southeast when it lost control, mounted the curb, and collided with at least two parked cars before coming to a stop. The cause of the crash is not yet known, but investigators are examining factors including speed and road conditions at the time.
Police Seek Witnesses
Calgary police are asking anyone who witnessed the crash or has dashcam footage from the area between 1:00 p.m. and 1:45 p.m. on Thursday to contact the Calgary Police Service Traffic Office at 403-266-1234. Investigators believe there may have been multiple vehicles in the vicinity that could have captured the incident on camera.
“We are appealing to the public for any information that could help us determine what led to this collision,” said Constable Mark Hall, a spokesperson for the Calgary Police Service. “Even the smallest detail could be crucial to our investigation.”
Community Concerns
Residents in the Southview community expressed shock at the incident. “It's a quiet neighbourhood, we don't usually see anything like this,” said local resident Sarah Thomson. “I heard a loud bang and came out to see the SUV smashed into cars. It's scary to think a teenager was so badly hurt.”
The crash is the latest in a series of serious collisions involving young drivers in Calgary. According to Alberta Transportation, drivers aged 16 to 19 are involved in more than 10% of all injury collisions in the province, despite making up only about 4% of licensed drivers.
Police have not laid any charges at this time, and the investigation is ongoing. The road was closed for several hours for collision reconstruction, but has since reopened.
