The construction holidays were particularly disastrous on the roads this year, snatching fifteen lives, including that of a mother who had just landed a job that ultimately led to her death.
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“She called us the day before to tell us that she had been promoted. She was so proud! She could now drive the van and manage three employees, ”says Marie-Pier Landry, the twin of Marie-Line, the 30-year-old victim.
But fate was not kind to her sister. Less than 12 hours later, she lost control of the vehicle on her way to work before hitting a first immobilized car, then a tanker truck which was coming in the opposite direction.
The impact was fatal for Marie-Line Landry, who leaves behind her 8-year-old son, as well as for one of her 32-year-old passengers, Frank Savard. Two other passengers were seriously injured, but their condition stabilized in hospital.
They all worked for the landscaping company Tonte LG Pro-Jet Saguenay.
A nightmare
When she heard the news, Ms. Landry’s sister first thought it was a bad joke. It was by seeing the panic seizing her loved ones that she understood the extent of the tragedy.
“Her son Brayan keeps asking to go find her… It’s a real nightmare,” she breathes.
According to several people contacted by The newspaper, Marie-Line Landry was incredibly kind, without an ounce of malice. Despite her personal difficulties, she was always ready to help those close to her.
“I feel like I’ve lost a part of myself. She was my confidante for the past 20 years, I’m devastated…”, sighs his best friend, Philippe Ostigny Tremblay, completely upset.
Many victims
By this tragic twist of fate, Marie-Line Landry and Frank Savard joined the too many road victims to lose their lives during the construction holidays in Quebec.
Since July 22, no less than 15 people have been added to this grim toll, according to an in-house census of the Log, and two others are in critical condition. The Sûreté du Québec identified 12 in 2021, on its territory, and 9 in 2020, at the same date.
“There are a lot of kilometers traveled by a lot of people falling on vacation – and coming back – at the same time,” says Marco Harrison, director of the CAA-Quebec Foundation, explaining why the majority of accidents occur during the first and last weekend of this period.
Add to that the presence of tourists from other provinces and countries, which were less numerous in the last two years, and we get an explosive cocktail.
everyday fight
But despite a slight increase in 2022, the balance sheet remains more or less stable year after year, regardless of the many awareness campaigns that are carried out during this period.
“We are still heading towards a particularly deadly summer. We need people to understand that the trip to and from our destination is part of our vacation. It shouldn’t be a race,” says Harrison.
“Road safety is an everyday battle. We must repeat constantly, hoping that our message will reach a few more people each time,” he concludes.
Two other people were still in critical condition last night, which could inflate this grim toll.
ROAD RAGE
A case of road rage cost the life of Alain D’Agostino, who allegedly tried to attack the person responsible for an accident of which he had previously been the victim, before being thrown fatally against a pole.
The 46-year-old man was riding his motorcycle when he was hit by a pickup truck in Sorel-Tracy on August 2. Annoyed, he got up quickly to attack the driver by banging his helmet against the window and hanging on to the door.
The man driving the van, Jonathan Casavant, would then have accelerated, before braking suddenly, throwing Mr. D’Agostino against an electric pole. Seriously injured, the latter died at the hospital.
A DEADLY COCKTAIL
18-year-old Miguel Milord and his 17-year-old passenger didn’t stand a chance when the motorcycle they were riding on swerved violently at high speed.
The duo was driving on rang Saint-Mathieu, in Shawinigan, when the tragedy occurred on July 23. They would have tried to pass cars in a curve, at high speed, while the roadway was wet.
A witness who confided in the news writer would then have seen the motorcyclists lose control of their machine and the bodies “jump into the air”. Their death was quickly confirmed.
WRONG PLACE AT WRONG TIME
A 15-year-old boy who was riding his scooter is currently fighting for his life after being hit by a driver who was fleeing a fine, in Laval. The pursuit began when an 18-year-old motorist refused to stop after a violation. The latter, accompanied by three passengers despite his probationary license, crossed the Chomedey sector at full speed.
It was at this moment that the impact occurred with the teenager who was at the intersection of boulevard Saint-Martin Ouest and rue du Couvent.
Seriously injured, the latter was transported to the hospital center where he remains in critical condition. The driver at fault was arrested and he appeared the same day.