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Police identify victim, say three deaths appear linked (update)

Timmins Police say they believe a fatal motor vehicle collision and the discovery of two bodies at a Denise Street home are linked.

Timmins Police say they believe a fatal motor vehicle collision and the discovery of two bodies at a Denise Street home are linked.

At a press conference this afternoon, police released the name of the driver of a vehicle that was pulled from the water after leaving the roadway on Algonquin Boulevard East, west of McIntyre Road on Friday.

The identities of the deceased individuals found early Saturday by police during a next of kin notification have not been confirmed. A post-mortem is scheduled for Tuesday.

The victim who died in the Little Pearl Lake incident has been identified as Richard Gagnon, 23, of Timmins.

TimminsToday was on hand for this afternoon's press conference and will have more on this story soon.

A release from the Timmins Police Service follows:

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Investigation into suspicious deaths continuing

On Friday, May 1, police responded to a report of a vehicle that had left the roadway and entered the water on Algonquin Blvd East, west of McIntyre Road.

The driver of the vehicle was transported to hospital but succumbed to his injuries.

During the early morning hours of May 2, police attended a residence on Denise Street in Timmins, for a next of kin notification, where officers located two individuals who were deceased.

Police are investigating these deaths as suspicious deaths.

At this time, police believe that these two incidents are connected.

The vehicle involved in the fatal motor vehicle collision has been removed from the water, with the assistance of the Ontario Provincial Police’s Underwater Search and Recovery Unit.

Investigators with the Timmins Police Service’s Criminal Investigation Section, as well as the Forensic Identification Section remain on scene at a residence on Denise Street at this time.

The investigation is still considered to be in its early stages; however police would like to re-iterate that these two incidents are believed to be isolated, and that public safety is not a concern.

The individual involved in the fatal collision of May 1 has been positively identified as Richard Gagnon, 23, of Timmins.

The identities of the deceased individuals located in the residence have not been confirmed at this time, pending a post-mortem examination scheduled for Tuesday, May 5, 2015 in Sudbury.

The Timmins Police Service will continue to update the public as more information becomes available.

As the public can undoubtedly understand, this is a significant investigation, and it will take time before information is available to be released to the media and the public.

The Timmins Police Service would like to thank the Ontario Provincial Police for their assistance in this investigation.

Anyone having information regarding these incidents is asked to contact Sgt. Lorne Yee at 705- 264-1201 ext 8169.

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Previous TimminsToday coverage of this story:

Police investigate 2 suspicious deaths

Timmins Police investigate fatal motor vehicle collision

(PHOTO: Police Chief John Gauthier speaks to reporters at a press conference this afternoon. Andrew Autio for TimminsToday)