Lachine | A pedestrian was intentionally hit by a car

Authorities fear for the life of a 41-year-old pedestrian who was intentionally hit by a motorist in the Lachine borough on Friday.

Delphine Belzile
The Press

A call was made to 911 Friday noon, concerning a collision between a motorist and a 41-year-old man in the borough of Lachine, at the intersection of rue Saint-Jacques and avenue Saint-Pierre, indicated the Montreal Police Service (SPVM).

The event would have originated in a conflict between the people involved, according to the agents.

Igor Cazac, mechanic at VIG Auto, witnessed the incident while he was working when the collision occurred, in front of his garage. “One of the two people hit went over the vehicle and fell to the ground,” he testified.

According to him, the motorist would have targeted two of his colleagues who work in a restaurant a few steps from the scene of the collision. The owner of the restaurant would also have mentioned to Igor Cazac that the three men had argued Thursday evening during the closing.

The second man targeted by the motorist hid between two vehicles to protect himself, says Igor Cazac. The incident was also captured by the surveillance cameras of the VIG Auto garage.

The man struck was immediately transferred to a hospital in Montreal, while he suffered major injuries, particularly to the head, underlines Raphaël Bergeron, spokesperson for the SPVM. At the time of this writing, the man was still in critical condition, according to information from medical authorities.

The motorist reportedly fled after the collision and the vehicle was found in an alley near the scene. The suspect later reported himself to a neighborhood police station. The man was scheduled to meet with investigators in the evening and could face charges and appear at the Montreal courthouse in the coming days, authorities said.

A security perimeter was established at the scene of the event to carry out the investigation. According to the authorities, the sector is to be avoided.