A driver is dead after colliding with a power pole near Sylvan Lake.
At around 4:30 a.m. Saturday, Red Deer and Sylvan Lake RCMP were searching for a vehicle that had been involved in a serious incident in Red Deer, RCMP said in a media release.
Police then encountered a second, unrelated vehicle travelling west on Highway 11A. It did not have its headlights on and it crossed the centre line.
An RCMP officer managed to avoid colliding with the vehicle, then turned around to try to stop it. The vehicle did not stop and it later struck a power pole.
The driver was ejected and was found dead nearby.
A passenger was trapped inside the vehicle and was rescued by the Sylvan Lake Fire Department.
The passenger suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital in Red Deer.
RCMP say alcohol, speed and “manner of driving” are believed to have been factors in the collision. RCMP did not clarify whether the vehicle was the one they’d been searching for in relation to an earlier serious incident.
Police are not releasing the identity of the driver or passenger, and the investigation is ongoing.