A 13-year-old boy from Amos is in critical condition after being struck as he was getting off his school bus Tuesday. The driver failed to stop when he saw the vehicle’s stop sign.
The bus was on Route 111, near the intersection of Rue Faubourg, in Amos, when the collision occurred, around 4:30 p.m.
“The stop lights were on. [Le jeune] crossed the street and was hit by a vehicle coming south,” said Nancy Fournier, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec. The driver did not stop.
The young man, who attended Amos high school, is hospitalized at CHU Sainte-Justine in Montreal, where there are fears for his life. The investigation is ongoing, the SQ said. For now, the driver of the vehicle is not facing any charges.
The speed limit at this location is 90 km/h. Many houses line Highway 111. A small residential area is located very close to the collision site.
The Harricana School Service Center (CSSH) says that an “emergency procedure” was applied for the forty students who were on the bus at the time of the tragedy. A team is present this Wednesday at the high school.
According to a crowdfunding campaign created to support the family and relayed by the CSSH communications services, young Nathan celebrated his 13th birthday on Monday.
“Nathan is a kind teenager with a huge heart,” it reads. More than $16,000 has already been raised for the family.
Motorists are required to stop more than 5 metres from a school bus with a stop sign or flashing lights. Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to $300 and 9 demerit points.
In these back-to-school days, police services throughout the province are increasing prevention activities to encourage motorists to exercise the utmost caution.
A survey conducted by the CAA Quebec group last year showed that around schools, up to 96% of motorists exceeded the prescribed speed limit, some going as far as 70 km/h in a 30 km/h zone.