COLD LAKE, Alta. -- A woman who died after a hit-and-run earlier this month had already been hit by another car before the accident.

The 24-year-old woman was killed on May 5 in a crash on Highway 55, west of the city. A 32-year-old man, initially described as her boyfriend, was also killed.

The woman, it has now come to light, received non-life-threatening injuries when she was struck by the first car. Paramedics, passersby and the man responded to the crash and were trying to help her.

That's when both she and he were fatally hit by a driver who fled the scene.

A 22-year-old man was charged with two counts of hit and run and two counts of dangerous driving causing death after he turned himself into the RCMP.

He is scheduled to appear in court on June 13.

No names have been released, RCMP said.

An earlier media report described the man and woman as “boyfriend and girlfriend,” but Const. Michael Dunsmore said police had no reason to believe that was the case.
Collision experts are analyzing the evidence of both crashes, Staff Sgt. Rob Cunningham said. Among other things, they will try to identify the vehicle that hit the woman in the first instance.

Cold Lake is approximately 300 km northeast of Edmonton.