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This article was published 20/8/2011 (3329 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

HADAS PARUSH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Garfield Street at Wellington Avenue was taped off and guarded by cruisers Saturday morning after a street brawl and two-vehicle collision that left six people injured, three critically. Hours later, Winnipeg police were still on the scene.

One man has died following a dispute between families early this morning that culminated in a two-vehicle collision and chaotic street brawl.

Six people were initially reported injured in the fight. One man remains in critical condition, while a woman is in stable condition, police said this afternoon.

Police said the families were socializing at a residence in the 1000 block of Garfield Street North when a fight broke out between a male and female at around 2:50 a.m.

The fight escalated and spilled onto the street, and numerous people armed themselves with various items and started assaulting each other, police reported this morning. Weapons used included a bat, a shovel, sticks, pepper spray and possibly knives, police said.

It's alleged two vehicles driven by people involved in the brawl collided during the melee, striking three pedestrians.

"Officers described it as a chaotic scene," said Winnipeg police spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen. "There were people assaulting one another and there were others who were injured. Things did escalate out of control very quickly."

A witness said she called 911 after she saw a van appear to deliberately ram an older model Chevy, the latter vehicle left at the scene this morning, its steel grill twisted and broken.

"It was about 3 o'clock in the morning and two men got in that car," the witness said, referring to the Chevy. "A minivan pulled up and stopped, then a female got out and started banging on the windows of the car."

The witness said the van drove into the car a number of times, hitting a female standing in a crowd of people behind the van in the process of reversing the first time.

"The second time she reversed all the way down, and all of a sudden I see dim headlights. She hit the car again, pushed it up on the sidewalk and hit a man," the witness said.

Of the six taken to hospital, three were in critical condition and three in stable condition.

It appeared all the injured were members of one of the two families, police said.

Police have to sort out conflicting accounts from 10 or more individuals involved in the melee, but are ruling out any gang activity.

"This appears to be an isolated incident involving family members. Whether or not it was fueled by alcohol, we are dealing with a situation with poor decision making and very bad judgment, plain and simple," said Michalyshen.

"We will be getting to the root of this issue here and holding the responsible individuals accountable."

Police would not say whether any arrests have been made.

Garfield Street North at Wellington Avenue remained taped off and guarded by cruisers this morning.

A grey van with broken rear side windows was stopped dead against a small two-storey house. The street was littered with debris, and one black running shoe lay in the middle of the street. A pile of folded blankets and a neck brace sat neatly in a front yard next to the stalled van.

One neighbour on nearby Dominion Street said she didn't hear a thing last night, and said up until this week, the area has been quiet.

The investigation is continuing by police.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca