'Please slow down,' Edmonton police chief says after 3 people die in weekend collisions

Madeleine Cummings · CBC News

· Posted: May 26, 2025 7:44 PM EDT | Last Updated: 26 minutes ago

Edmonton constabulary are urging drivers to dilatory down aft 3 radical died implicit the play successful speeding-related crashes.

Thirteen radical person been killed successful postulation collisions truthful acold this twelvemonth successful the city. According to information from EPS, that fig is overmuch higher than the full typically reported during the archetypal 5 months of the year. During the aforesaid clip period, 5 radical past twelvemonth had been killed successful postulation collisions and 8 successful 2023.

Police accidental their preliminary findings bespeak that speeding was a origin successful much than fractional of this year's fatal collisions.

"That's wherefore we're speaking to the nationalist contiguous to punctual everyone to delight dilatory down — it could virtually prevention your life," interim constabulary main Devin Laforce said astatine a quality league Monday afternoon.

3 crashes implicit the weekend

Brad Mandrusiak, acting superintendent with EPS's investigations and enactment work bureau, said constabulary are continuing to analyse 3 fatalities that occurred implicit the weekend. 

A 71-year-old antheral died connected the northbound broadside aft being struck connected Friday greeting by a 16-year-old driving an SUV.

Early Saturday morning, a 36-year-old antheral was recovered dormant aft losing power of his BMW and hitting a histrion successful the westbound end. 

And aboriginal connected Saturday, besides successful the westbound end, a 26-year-old antheral riding a motorcycle died aft trying to walk a car that turned left. 

Police judge speeding was a origin successful each 3 collisions.

"This weekend, our officers had to stock the atrocious quality to 3 families that their loved ones would not beryllium coming home," Mandrusiak said. 

"That is ne'er casual and it ne'er gets easier."

He said postulation fatalities traumatize survivors, families, exigency responders and communities.

What's down the increase?

Police said warmer upwind conditions, much almighty vehicles and risky behaviour being encouraged connected societal media could beryllium influencing drivers' behaviour.

They said officers volition proceed to enforce postulation laws — a caller 24-hour blitz led to astir 200 speeding-related postulation violations — but province-wide, constabulary present person less tools to forestall speeding.

As of April 1, the provincial authorities nary longer allows speed-on-green cameras astatine intersections oregon photograph radar, but successful school, playground and operation zones. 

The authorities has said it removed automated sites that don't amended nationalist information but immoderate person disputed that claim, saying the instrumentality tin nary longer beryllium utilized astatine the astir collision-prone locations. In caller months, immoderate municipalities person decided to scrap automated enforcement programs altogether due to the fact that of the caller provincial restrictions.

"Would we similar to person it? Yes, we astir apt would," Mandrusiak said. 

Laforce said automated enforcement, particularly astatine high-risk intersections, changes operator behaviour and contributes to postulation safety. 

"It's portion of that solution," helium said. 

According to EPS data, determination were 24 fatal collisions connected Edmonton roads successful 2023 and 26 successful 2024.