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A woman and three children were taken to a trauma centre in critical, life-threatening condition, Peel paramedics said. A fourth child was taken to a local hospital with serious injuries.Ìý

Three of the children were listed in stable condition while the woman and fourth child remained in critical condition, Const. Tyler Bell-Morena told media in an update just after 8 p.m. from the scene.ÌýBy 10 p.m., he said all five are expected to survive and were no longer in life-threatening condition.

Bell-MorenaÌýsaid the children are aged nine to 12, and two of the children are connected to the woman, who is believed to be their mother, while the other two children are thought to be friends of the family.Ìý

“I won’t go into too much detail about them out of respect for the family, which I’m sure is a pretty anguishing time right now as they try to ensure the well-being of their kids,” he said.

The woman and children were in a red Honda Civic when it became involved in the crash with a black Range Rover that investigators believe was heading north on Ninth Line,ÌýBell-Morena said.

After the collision, two young men were seen jumping out of the black Range Rover and running away on Ninth Line,ÌýBell-Morena said. One was wearing dark clothing and black shorts while the other was wearing a white T-shirt and black pants.Ìý

An employee at a nearby Papa John’s said his colleague was working in the back and hadn’t heard the collision but knew something was wrong whenÌýpeople started running into the pizzeria, “making a commotion.” He said they had witnessed the collision, rushed to help and then came to the restaurant for napkins to help with the victims’ injuries.

Approximately 20 minutes before the crash, officers responded to a call for a potential carjacking in the parking lot of a Life Time gym in the area, nearÌý. Police determined there was no carjacking but said the occupants of the Range Rover were involved in an altercation that involved a gun and one or more other vehicles.Ìý

“We are working on the theory that the Range Rover was being followed by possibly multiple vehicles in the moments leading up to the crash,” Bell-Morena said, adding that the Range Rover was believed to be speeding.Ìý

He also said investigators don’t believe the two males who ran from the Range Rover are still in the area but noted that “it’s not uncommon that criminals, if fleeing a scene, may try to dispose of a firearm or evidence.” He asked residents to check their backyards and call police if they see anything suspicious, but urged them not to touch anything they find.

The Range Rover has not been reported as stolen,ÌýBell-Morena said.

He also said the collision is one of the most complicated crashes he has seen in a while.Ìý

“Things aren’t always what they seem when they’re reported to police,” he said. “The scene is convoluted in the sense that there are two locations, we have two separate incidents that are connected and it’s quite difficult to understand exactly what transpired based on the positioning of those vehicles.”

Officers warned that there is significant traffic in the area and are advising drivers to use alternate routes. Ninth Line is closed in both directions between Candlelight and Janice drives.