Youths charged after firearms seized in Whitby collision: police

Five young people are facing a string of charges and Ontario's police watchdog is investigating after two of them were seriously hurt while allegedly fleeing a traffic stop in Durham Region.

Durham police said they seized two firearms and prohibited magazines from the vehicle the youths were in after it crashed in Whitby Monday night.

In a news release Wednesday, police said they initiated a traffic stop on a suspicious vehicle in the area of Winchester Road W. and Thornton Road N. around 10:30 p.m. The vehicle fled and was located soon afterwards in a ditch after colliding with another vehicle, they said.

The accused now face numerous charges, including possession of a restricted/prohibited firearm, driving a motor vehicle without a license, flight from a peace officer and possession of prohibited ammunition.

The Special Investigations Unit said Tuesday that it was investigating after two youths were seriously hurt following the attempted police stop. It said the youths were in a BMW and identified the other vehicle as a Nissan Rogue SUV.

Police say they did not pursue the vehicle after it fled the stop.

SIU spokesperson Kristy Denette said a 17-year-old and 13-year-old were taken to the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto with serious, but non-life-threatening injuries. One has since been released, she said.

The 16-year-old driver of the vehicle fled on foot with minor injuries but was later apprehended, Denette said. Two other passengers weren't seriously hurt, the SIU said.

The occupants of SUV weren't seriously injured, Denette said.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the SIU at 1-800-787-8529.