Friends and co-workers of a 24-year-old Ottawa man who died after a serious crash in Ottawa's Vanier neighbourhood on Tuesday are remembering him as a great guy and caring friend.

Alex Cross died after his car collided with another vehicle in Vanier. (Facebook) Alex Cross was pronounced dead Wednesday, a day after he suffered critical head injuries, neck injuries and multi-system trauma when the Honda Accord he was driving was hit by a Pontiac G6 at the intersection of the Vanier Parkway and McArthur Avenue.

Earlier, at about 1:15 a.m., police began chasing the Pontiac near George and Cumberland streets in the ByWard Market before calling off the pursuit.

The province's Special Investigations Unit is investigating the crash.

Cross was a graduate of Lester B Pearson Catholic High School.

For the past three years he was employed as a dishwasher at Moxie's restaurant on Innes Road.

More recently he had also started working at Buzz On — the marijuana vapour lounge on Montreal Road. The lounge, less than a five minute drive from the crash site, was closed for a day to allow employees to grieve.

2 others injured in collision

Cross and a 21-year-old woman were ejected from their car when the Pontiac struck their vehicle, according to Ottawa paramedics.

She suffered critical, life-threatening head injuries and multi-system trauma, but has since stabilized and is now listed in serious condition.

The 37-year-old man driving the Pontiac suffered serious head injuries and a serious leg fracture.

He was unconscious when firefighters extricated him from his vehicle and was taken to hospital in critical condition.

One of the vehicles in the crash rolled over, ejecting the two young people inside. (CBC News) All three were taken to the Ottawa Hospital's Civic campus trauma unit.

On Wednesday friends had created a memorial for Cross at the intersection, made out of broken car parts from the collision scene and candles.

The SIU investigates incidents involving police in which a member of the public is seriously injured or killed, as well as allegations of sexual assault against police.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident is asked to call the SIU's lead investigator at 1-800-787-8529.