A high-speed police pursuit early Saturday morning ended in a three-car collision that left two dead and a third critically injured.

Toronto police were following an Acura near Islington and Albion Road when the speeding driver crashed into two taxis, killing himself and one of the cab's passengers.

"This is a very tragic incident for everyone involved, including the officers," Special Investigations Unit spokesperson Rose Bliss told the media.

Toronto police say they were investigating a gun call in the area when they noticed the speeding car and pursued it.

The car struck the taxis, killing one of the female passengers and sending another to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the car was also taken to hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

Twelve investigators from the province's special investigation unit, which looks into accidents involving police and civilians that end in serious injury or death, are probing what happened during the chase.

The drivers of the two cruisers that were following the Acura are the subjects of this investigation, Bliss said.

Police are encouraging anyone who witnessed the crash to contact the SIU at 416-622-1898.

With files from The Canadian Press