Two men died and nine others were injured, three seriously, when the driver of an F-150 pickup truck hit them while they were walking on the side of Route 132, in Amqui, Bas-Saint- Lawrence. At least six victims had to be transported to hospitals outside the region following this “unprecedented” tragedy for this small community, as described by local deputy Pascal Bérubé.
The event occurred around 3 p.m. on Monday near the La Captive microbrewery, not far from downtown Amqui.
The driver, a 38-year-old man residing in the region, was first arrested for hit and run causing death after surrendering on his own, confirmed the Sûreté du Québec (SQ). According to our information, it would be Steve Gagnon.
PHOTO FROM STEEVE GAGNON’S FACEBOOK ACCOUNT
Steve Gagnon
He was later arrested for murder, while everything suggests that he acted deliberately, according to what the SQ said. He is expected to appear on Tuesday.
People met on the spot told on a daily basis The sun that the vehicle he was driving would hit the sidewalk to hit pedestrians, only to return to Boulevard Saint-Benoît, Amqui’s main street. Then, he would have returned a few moments later to the sidewalk to hit others.
According to the perimeter erected on the spot, he would have continued his ride for about 500 meters by going in a northerly direction.
An isolated gesture
“The driver of the van hit several pedestrians […] over a certain distance. […] We are not talking about a group of individuals, these are pedestrians who were walking at a certain distance between them, along Route 132, ”confirmed a spokesperson for the SQ, Claude Doiron.
The suspect was still met by SQ investigators on Monday evening. All the hypotheses are still on the table to explain this gesture, but we assure that it is an isolated gesture. “There is no danger for the population. We are really talking about an isolated gesture on the part of an individual, ”insisted Claude Doiron.
As for the two people who lost their lives, they are two men, a septuagenarian and a sixty-something, confirmed the SQ. As for the injured, three are in critical condition, and we fear for their lives.
“When we arrived in Amqui, there was an ambulance and someone lying on the side of the road. About 400 feet further, there was another person on the ground, and a woman from the Sûreté du Québec was giving him a cardiac massage. In all, I counted at least four adults on the ground”, tells The Press the trucker Alain Gilbert.
The trucker from Saint-Hyacinthe passed through Amqui, heading for New Richmond, a few minutes after the tragedy. “I saw people panicking on the sidewalk,” he recalls.
“An unprecedented tragedy”
Late Monday afternoon, the mayor of Amqui, Sylvie Blanchette, was still in shock from the tragic event that had struck the community of some 6,200 inhabitants.
“We have just had a very nice spring break with good weather. We never believe that it will happen to us, we see dramas like that on the news, but we could never have imagined that it would hit Amqui, ”said the elected official, visibly upset.
“I take the direction of Amqui and I cancel my presence tomorrow at the National Assembly. […] The toll would be very heavy. […] I am troubled by what I am told, ”commented the local deputy, Pascal Bérubé, on Twitter.
Joined on the spot, the elected described a “crying community” and Amqui “a peaceful city, which is experiencing an unprecedented drama, which cannot be explained”.
“Many witnesses are reporting to us all that innocent victims were hit by a large truck and it was a horrific scene,” he then explained, that links are made with other similar scenes. of “ram truck” in recent years.
“I hardly dare to think of the drama experienced by these families who were expecting a beautiful end to the day with their loved ones, but which looks a lot like torment there”, he concluded.
Psychological support
“Preliminary information reports a serious accident in Amqui. The teams are on their way and we are monitoring the situation closely, ”reacted the Minister of Public Security, François Bonnardel, announcing that he would also go to Amqui.
“I just spoke to MP Pascal Bérubé and Amqui Mayor Sylvie Blanchette. I offered them my full support. We will be there for the people of Amqui,” said Quebec Premier François Legault.
Psychosocial support is offered for witnesses, said Bloc Québécois MP for Avignon-La Mitis-Matane-Matapédia, Kristina Michaud, on Facebook. “While waiting to learn more, thank you to the police, responders, ambulance and health personnel who are doing everything to assist the injured,” she added.
Bypasses have been set up to allow collision investigators to go on site to try to reconstruct the circumstances that led to the tragedy.
Reinforcements called to Amqui hospital
The spokesperson for the Bas-Saint-Laurent Integrated Health and Social Services Center (CISSS), Gilles Turmel, confirmed that a code orange was in progress at the Amqui hospital. A dozen people were “taken care of” there, he said. At least six patients were transported to hospitals outside the region, three in Quebec and three others in Montreal.
“You have to understand that we receive people who were not directly involved in the accident, but who still show up at the emergency room in a state of shock and we treat them anyway”, also indicated Gilles. Turmal.
All resources were mobilized for this at the Amqui hospital while reinforcements were even called.
At the start of the evening, there were many reactions on social networks. “My heart goes out to the citizens of Amqui, Quebec. I am thinking of all those affected as we await more information on today’s tragic events. To first responders: thank you for your speed, courage and professionalism,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted.