Handcuffed man's police chase kills two

6/9/99
POINTE-DU-LAC, Que. (CP) - A handcuffed drunk driving
suspect who stole a provincial police squad car smashed  
into another vehicle following a police chase early Sunday, 
killing the two occupants

Vincent Lopez, 27, and Joel Mussgnug, 27, both of Montreal, 
instantly when their Volkswagen Jetta was struck by the stolen
police car.

A third passenger, aged 30, was seriously injured and was taken  
to a nearby hospital.

The handcuffed man managed to get behind the wheel of the squad 
car early Sunday after the officers stepped away from their vehicle,
said provincial police spokesman Daniel Lamirande.

The man tried to lose the police car chasing him by making an abrupt
U-turn, but wound up driving the wrong way along the highway near
Trois-Rivieres. 

The stolen car sped west along Highway 40 against the flow of
traffic until it collided head-on with the Jetta in Yamachiche, 
Que., about 100 kilometers northeast of Montreal.

The suspect was also seriously injured in the accident.

The incident began in Trois-Rivieres when the suspect and five
others caused a ruckus in a local bar.

As they left the establishment, an employee noted their license 
plate number and notified police.

Police tracked down the car and followed them.

The driver, aged 27, was arrested for mischief and driving under 
the influence of alcohol.

He was handcuffed and left in the back seat of the police cruiser.

But his friends started to cause trouble so the officers left the 
vehicle to calm them down.

The suspect then managed to bring his handcuffed hands from
behind his back, leap into the front seat of the car and drive away.

The highway was closed for about 10 hours following the incident.

© The Canadian Press, 1999   
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