The RCMP is reminding residents how to keep themselves safe when buying and selling items online after a meetup last week turned into a physical altercation and ended in a serious collision that sent multiple people to hospital. A Winnipeg man is facing multiple charges as a result of the incident.

On the evening of April 10 police and emergency personnel responded to a two-vehicle collision on Raleigh Street in the RM of East St. Paul. Witnesses to the collision said that a grey Nissan pick-up truck and a grey Dodge Ram 1500 were seen driving erratically and at very high speeds on Raleigh Street.

Last week the RCMP said that it was reported that they may have been racing or chasing each other.

On Monday, April 15, the RCMP confirmed that the incident occurred following a pre-arranged meeting to sell an item.

"The meeting escalated into a physical altercation between the occupants of both vehicles, which led to one vehicle chasing the other and causing the crash," the RCMP says in a release.

The driver of the Nissan pickup truck, a 30-year-old male from Winnipeg, has been arrested and charged with four counts of Dangerous Operation of a Vehicle Causing Bodily Harm, as well as four counts of Assault with a Weapon. He has since been released from custody and will appear in court at a later date.

The RCMP says that the four individuals in the Dodge pickup truck, all from Winnipeg, suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

“Whenever you are meeting to conduct a transaction with unknown individuals, we encourage you to choose a safe place to meet,” said Staff Sergeant Mitch Tkachuk of the Selkirk RCMP.

“There are safe exchange zones throughout the province. Choose a well-lighted, highly populated area, and try not to go by yourself. Never enter another vehicle to complete a transaction. Always have a method of removing yourself from the situation if it becomes necessary to do so.”

The RCMP is continuing to investigate.