Deadly weekend on Quebec roads prompts warning from police
A driver and a pedestrian lost their lives in two separate accidents in Quebec on Sunday.
In the first accident, a collision involving multiple vehicles took place around 6 a.m. on the Turcot interchange. The crash, at the Highway 15 ramp leading to Route 136 East, killed a driver and sent an underage passenger to hospital, police said. The victim’s life is not in danger.
First responders found two of the vehicles involved empty.
“An investigation is being initiated by the major crimes and investigation division in connection with a failure to stop after an accident,” said Sûreté du Québec spokesperson Adam Marineau.
The ramp remained closed for several hours as witnesses were interviewed and accident reconstruction experts examined the scene.
Breaking news from Canada and around the world sent to your email, as it happens.
Then, in Brossard, a 75-year-old pedestrian was killed after being struck by a vehicle.
The accident at Du Quartier Boulevard and De Lancaster Street was reported at 6:30 a.m.
“The 21-year-old driver was driving his car in the street,” said Mélanie Mercille, spokesperson for Longueuil police. “He lost control of his vehicle and he hit a man who was walking on the bike path.”
The driver was arrested and could face charges of dangerous driving causing death, police said.
Those accidents followed a deadly crash on Friday, when a semi trailer collided with an SUV on Route 335 north of Montreal. Laval police confirmed three deaths.
According to the SAAQ, Quebec’s automobile insurance association, in 2023, nine people died on Quebec roads during Canada Day weekend, and 20 were seriously injured.
CAA Quebec said the Saint Jean Baptiste long weekend marks the beginning of what it calls the 75 deadliest days.
“Out of 365 days, that is roughly a quarter of the period, and its more than 25 per cent of the casualties,” CAA Quebec spokesperson André Durocher told Global News. “The three main factors causing accidents are always the same year after year: drinking and driving, speeding, and distractions.”
The Sûreté du Québec says drivers should double their vigilance during special occasions like long weekends, but also throughout the summer.