Man in Edmonton charged after car hits building, killing 3

EDMONTON A 25-year-old man is facing charges after three people died when a car smashed into the side of a building on Calgary Trail early Friday morning.

Edmonton police responded to a report of a crash north of 55 Avenue just after 2 a.m. to find two women in their early 20s and a 32-year-old man dead inside of an Audi RS5 sedan.

The car slammed into the side of the nearby Starbucks, causing significant damage to the vehicle and building. Police believe excessive speed was involved.

Calgary Trail north of 55 Avenue was closed for most of the day while major collision officers investigated and police searched for the male driver, who fled on foot before officers arrived.

The car had an Ontario vanity licence plate with the words Dr. Green.

Just after noon, the driver was taken into custody at his home in southwest Edmonton. He was treated by paramedics and taken to hospital with serious but nonlife threatening injuries. Police said Oscar Benjumea faces multiple charges once his condition stabilizes in hospital.

Cameron Kane, co-owner of the Bud King with Benjumea, said he couldn’t reach his friend on Friday morning and was worried about his whereabouts.

He said Benjumea called him in the afternoon to say he was going to turn himself in.

“I was stunned and shocked this morning,” said Kane. “As soon as I woke up people were asking me if I was alive because they thought I might have been in the car.”

Both Kane and Benjumea are from Toronto. The two have been friends for more than a decade.

According to court records, Benjumea was charged in September 2018 for refusing to provide a breath sample. He was fined $1,000 and received a one-year licence suspension.