Speed, alcohol factors in deadly Whyte Avenue crash, police say

Speed and alcohol were likelyfactors in a deadly crash on Whyte Avenue earlythis morningthat killed a 21-year-old woman, police say.

Just after 2 a.m., a BMW speedingeast along Whyte Avenue and had justcrossed 99thStreet when the driver lost control, sheeredoff a large tree and crashedinto the entrance of an apartment building.

A 21-year-old femalepassenger in the carwas killed. The 30-year-old maledriver taken to hospital with serious but non-life-threateninginjuries,police said.

Sgt. EricTheuser,with major collision investigation unit saidspeed and alcohol werefactors.

"We're enteringintoa dangerous driving impaired operation investigation," he said.

The BMW was likely speeding when itcame upon the road construction at99th Street, where anew median is being built, Theusersaid.

The driver hit the barricade, lost control of the car andand crashed into the entrancearea of an apartment building, he said.

"To shear off a tree typically would involve a lot of speed," Theuser said. "That vehicle would have kept going if not for the retaining wall.

"When you see that kind of devastation, that kind of catastrophic collision, that's a great indicator of speed."

Apartment residentShurlon Trotman said hewas awakened by thecrash.

"I looked out through my bedroom window and I saw smoke rising up," he said. "I ran downstairs, and when I came out through the back everyone was screaming.There's a bunch of neighbours from these buildings here in their nightgowns. Everybody ran to the car, we were trying to get the young lady out."

Trotman said the big rock near the entrance may have saved the building itself.

"If itwasn't there, suffice to say this car would havegoneright in that unit. And considering this building is majority drywall, if that car had goneup in flames then this whole building would havegoneup in flames. It could havebeen a lot worse."

Police say they have not yetlaid any charges against the driver.