A 27-year-old man is facing charges today after a teenager was killed in a crash around 7:40 p.m. Wednesday at Manning Drive and 167 Avenue.

Police say the 18-year-old victim was turning left from Manning Drive onto 167 Avenue when his Volkswagen was struck by a southbound Dodge Avenger.

Lee Donecz was behind the wheel of his own vehicle, and watched the collision unfold Wednesday afternoon, he described the speed of the Dodge Avenger as ‘alarming’.

“I [saw] the blue Dodge kind of jump up onto the corner median, and it looked like he’d done a flip, and ended up in the ditch facing northbound again, on the west side of Manning [Drive].” Donecz said in a phone interview.

“Guaranteed over the speed limit, the guy who he had passed, he also stayed at the scene, he said that that guy passed him, he was going 80 kilometres an hour and that guy passed him like he was standing still – he said he must have been doing 150 or 160 kilometres an hour.”

Donecz said he, along with a number of other witnesses stopped to help, and worked to remove the driver of the Volkswagen from the vehicle.

“The young man in the Passat, he was hunched over his console, like underneath the airbag, and there was a lot of blood,” Donecz said.

The driver of the Volkswagen was rushed to hospital but died from his injuries a short time later.

A family member confirmed the young man as Travis Hurlburg, a resident of British Columbia.

Police say witnesses watched the 27-year-old driver of the Avenger attempted to flee the scene, but bystanders caught up with him and held him until police arrived.

“Witnesses at that time observed the vehicle travelling in excess of 100 kilometres an hour. Obviously with damages like this to both vehicles speed was definitely a factor in this collision,” said Edmonton Police Service, Acting Sgt.Margaret Raposo.

“With the speed involved, I’ve never in my life seen a vehicle separate the way that one did,” Donecz said.

Police say alcohol is also believed to be a factor in the crash, investigators are working to determine if it played a role in the collision.

Derrick O'Connor has been charged with criminal hit and run causing death and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death. Additional charges are pending.

The speed limit on Manning Drive is 70 kilometres an hour. It was closed for most of the night but reopened early Thursday morning.

With files from Nicole Weisberg and Veronica Jubinville