Drunk driver caused fatal crash: police

A 17-year-old Winnipeg woman is facing charges of impaired driving causing death and criminal negligence causing death in connection to a fatal crash that killed two people early Sunday morning.

The teen, whose identity is protected by the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was behind the wheel of a Chevrolet Cavalier that struck a Pontiac Sunfire near Bishop Grandin Boulevard and St. Mary's Road, police said Monday.

Two women in the Sunfire died from their injuries: a 17-year-old, who authorities have not named, and 19-year-old Senhit Mehari, a second-year university student.

An 18-year-old woman remains in hospital in critical condition. She was also in the Sunfire when it was struck at about 2:55 a.m. CT.

Police said they have some information to suggest the teen facing charges ran a red light but said traffic investigators are still gathering evidence.

"They're going to reconstruct what took place," Winnipeg police Const. Jason Michalyshen said.

Police are still looking into where the young woman was coming from prior to the crash.

In addition to the charges involving death, she faces charges of criminal negligence causing bodily harm and impaired driving causing bodily harm. The teen has been released from custody on a promise to appear in court at a later date.

Police didn't say when her first court appearance will be.

Victims attended same high school

The young woman was travelling west on Bishop Grandin when her vehicle hit the southbound Sunfire on St. Mary's.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene, where they found at least one person from the Sunfire had been thrown from the vehicle.

A Manitoba Public Insurance spokesman said the intersection ranks fifth worst in Winnipeg for the number of collisions that occur there.

Louis Riel School Division superintendent Terry Borys confirmed Monday that the teens who were killed or seriously injured are former students at Dakota Collegiate, a school in the St. Vital area of Winnipeg not far from where the crash happened.

Grief counsellors have been called in to assist any friends or family members at the school.

"This is a tragic, tragic thing, so what we're doing is providing support," Borys said.

"I've been here for 11 years now," he added. "I really can't recall something of this magnitude."