Two people are dead after a high-speed police car chase near Hinton township ended in a fiery crash Thursday afternoon.

An off-duty RCMP officer first reported a minivan being driven in an apparently erratic manner near Jasper, police said.

Jasper RCMP initially tried to stop the vehicle near the east Jasper park gates on Highway 16 at about 4:50 pm. But the eastbound minivan failed to stop, according to the RCMP.

The minivan then passed two RCMP cars as it entered the town of Hinton. The minivan failed to stop when signaled by police and began to accelerate at a high speed through Hinton, travelling eastbound in the westbound lanes of Highway 16, according to police.

Shortly after 5 p.m., as the minivan crested a hill, it crashed head-on into two westbound vehicles. The first of the two vehicles travelling in the curb lane was able to avoid a collision.

But the second vehicle, a pickup truck travelling in the passing lane, was struck by the eastbound minivan, which burst into flames on impact. Neither driver survived the collision.

Investigators are asking anyone who may have witnessed any portion of this incident to contact Hinton RCMP at 780-865-2455.