Collision between Macleod Trail and Southland Drive leaves 2 minors and 2 adults seriously injured

Several people were rushed to hospital, including two minors, following a serious vehicle collision Thursday morning.

Police said some of those involved suffered serious injuries and remained in critical condition, with their lives in danger.

The crash happened around 10 a.m. at Southland Drive and Macleod Trail S. and was preceded by a robbery at a pharmacy on the city’s southwest side.

According to the Calgary Fire Department (CFD), five vehicles were involved in the crash, all of which were seriously damaged.

CFD said they found one person on the ground outside one of the vehicles, and two others trapped inside who needed life-saving jaws to get out.

Battalion Chief Scott Cowan said he knew of two people under the age of 18 and two adults who were hospitalized.

These were the most serious injuries at the scene, CFD said, although there were others.

Paul Donaldson, who was in one of the other vehicles hit in a chain reaction, said: “Unfortunately when I got out of the car I saw the little girl lying on the ground and they ( emergency personnel) were working on her.”

Donaldson had to crawl out of his own vehicle, dragging his partner with him.

He said his partner had received cuts to her face.

“We ended up having to crawl over the back seat and jump out the back. I had to get (my partner) out of the car,” he said.

“Everything’s out. All the airbags.”

Donaldson said the incident was “surreal” and left him “in shock”.

“We were sitting at the light getting ready to head east on Southland,” he said.

“The minivan went through the red light as this little gray car was trying to turn. … It smoked it and it came flying towards us.”

Donaldson said someone was arrested by police at the scene.

“They took him out of the van. There were about five or six police officers around him,” he said.

Calgary police, firefighters and emergency medical services were called to Southland Drive and Macleod Trail in the city’s south end Thursday for a vehicle collision. (Image by @YYCTRANSPORTATION/X)

Police said Thursday they were following the vehicle before the collision.

The Pharmasave at 15 Millrise Blvd. SW was robbed, his pharmacist was attacked and a vehicle was stolen around 9:30 a.m.

Rabina Rabina was working at the Shell station near Pharmasave at the time of the theft.

“I was just sitting here. I was doing my business and I saw someone crossing the street and then I felt something was wrong and then I just locked the door and he tried to ‘come in. Then I said to come to the side window so I could take care of him, but he ignored me,’ she said.

“Then he went to Pharmasave, and after about two minutes I saw he was in a hurry, and he just started the pharmacist’s car, and then he left.”

The ordeal shook her.

“I was thinking about my safety. I was totally alone and I was thinking, ‘What if he gets in there and he can hurt me too?'” she said.

Police say after the robbery, the suspect refused to stop for officers on the ground and was driving dangerously.

A police helicopter continued to monitor the vehicle from above.

Police said the suspect ran a red light at Southland Drive and Macleod Trail, leading to the collision.

The suspect remains in custody and charges have been filed against him.

YYC Transportation said roads were closed in all directions and motorists should avoid the area.

Police said they closed northbound and southbound Macleod Trail from 94th Avenue to 99th Avenue SE, as well as westbound and eastbound Southland Drive from Horton Road SW to Bonaventure Drive SE.

Police also advised motorists to seek alternative routes in the area.

The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team (ASIRT) has been notified of the incident.

ASIRT is the province’s police watchdog.

With files from Tyler Barrow of CTV News Calgary