Calgary police are investigating a high-speed crash on Memorial Drive

Calgary police say charges are pending in connection with a high-speed crash on Memorial Drive that sent two people to the hospital Wednesday.

Emergency crews were called to Memorial Drive and Ninth Street NE at 1:15 a.m. for a report of the crash.

Security video obtained exclusively by CTV News shows the car losing control on Memorial, narrowly missing the Bridgeland sign and hitting a retaining wall.

Police said in a statement that the two vehicles, a 2023 Genesis G70 and a 2018 Mercedes Benz 250, were believed to be westbound on Memorial when the crash occurred.

“The Genesis then crashed into a barrier near Bridgeland CTtrain Station and the Mercedes crashed into a nearby retaining wall.”

TWO PEOPLE REACHED THE HOSPITAL

Police said the passengers in the Genesis were ejected, and a man and a woman in their 20s in the Mercedes were taken to hospital in critical condition.

The mother of the woman who was seriously injured in the crash told CTV News her daughter faces a long road to recovery and said she was not at fault.

A 21-year-old woman and a male friend were in a car that flew past the Bridgeland sign and crashed into a retaining wall.

The woman is sedated in the hospital, has a brain bleed and needs plastic surgery on her face. He also suffered a broken jaw and other injuries.

The mother said she understood her daughter's car had been hit by another vehicle. His daughter was knocked out while driving.

Then his foot hit the gas pedal and the car accelerated and crashed.

'THIS LOOKS LIKE A REALLY BAD ANGLE'

The commotion woke up Bridgeland residents like CJ Fernet and his dog Bentley.

“My dog ​​went crazy and started barking and I looked out the window and there was an ambulance, firemen and police,” she said.

“Our fire alarms went off, were sent outside and we saw the accident happen.”

The parking lot of the Fernet building was closed for the day as workers cleaned up debris and damage from the crash.

Another resident said that it was only a matter of time before the incident happened.

“We've seen the (Bridgeland) sign taken down a few times, this corner taken down, and then last night it happened, so it's a really bad corner and it doesn't even seem like ice this time,” Trevor told the Sun.

The speed limit for Memorial Drive is 70 km/h.

9th district. Gian-Carlo Carra says that as long as there is high-speed traffic, there is always the risk of an accident.

“Honestly, I don't know what we can do other than build a time machine and convince the city planners of the past not to build a freeway between Bridgeland Riverside and the riverfront,” he said.

Carra said the city is looking at ways to reconnect the community to the river.

He adds that talks are underway with the local community about making the Bridgeland signing a reinforced barrier.

“So if it crashes, the car will cause a lot of damage to the vehicle and the occupants, but pedestrians can be protected. The last thing we need is a pedestrian burn,” Carra said.

Residents of the district are of the opinion that more work should be done.

“I face that street, it's very competitive, they go very fast on that street all night,” Fernet said. “Something needs to be done, maybe they can slow down.”

Police said it is not yet known whether alcohol or drugs were a factor in the crash.

“Our traffic unit continues to investigate this collision and we are asking anyone with information or surveillance footage to contact police,” police said in a statement.

Anyone with information can call police at 403-266-1234 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously.