Calgary

Hit-and-run crash kills woman on 16th Avenue

Police say a woman found dead on 16th Avenue northeast early Wednesday morning was the victim of a hit and run.

Westbound lanes closed between 4th and 6th streets as police investigate

A woman was found dead on 16th Avenue early Wednesday morning, the victim of a hit-and-run crash, police say. (Devin Heroux/CBC)

Police say a woman found dead on 16th Avenue northeast early Wednesday morning was the victim of a hit and run.

Emergency crews were called at about 3:20 a.m. MT after a body was found on the road outside the Calgary Co-op store.

The westbound lanes of 16th Avenue between Fourth and Sixth Streets were closed for several hours while police investigated the first traffic fatality of the year in Calgary.

Acting staff Sgt. Colin Foster says it’s frustrating for police when drivers flee the scene of an accident.

“What tends to happen is that when people do drive away, they do commit an offence. This has happened time and time again and I talk about it time and time again,” he said. “If you're involved in a collision stay at the scene.”

Officers are interviewing witnesses and reviewing closed-circuit security camera footage from nearby businesses.

Anyone who sees a vehicle with suspicious damage or blood on it is asked to contact police.