A spring bike ride ended tragically on Monday when a woman in her 60s lost her life after being hit by a truck in La Malbaie. It could be the first cyclist death of the year.
Posted at 4:12 p.m.
Updated at 7:53 p.m.
The lady was riding on two wheels on the Malcolm-Fraser road, the name of route 138 near La Malbaie, in the Charlevoix region. At around 2 p.m., she was hit by a 16-meter (53-foot) heavy truck. The details of the collision are not yet known, said Marythée Bolduc, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec.
The cyclist was transported to a hospital in critical condition where she succumbed to her injuries. Is this the first cyclist death of the year? “We may not be aware of all instances of fatal collisions involving cyclists,” explains Magali Bebronne, spokesperson for Vélo Québec. But it seems to be the first of the season, indeed. »
The Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) could not confirm the information to The Pressbecause the data on road accidents are only compiled at the end of the year, justified the SAAQ publicist, Mario Vaillancourt.
“Heavy trucks represent 3 to 4% of vehicles in circulation, adds Mr.me Bebronne, but nearly half of cyclist deaths on the roads. »
Understanding Collision
The Sûreté du Québec called on reconstructionists to understand the circumstances of the tragedy. Traffic is slowed on Route 138 due to the investigation. The Quebec Ministry of Transport was called in to help with traffic.
“When we have fatal collisions for cyclists involving heavy vehicles, it is often linked to maneuvers and blind spots of turns, in urbanized areas”, maintains Magali Bebronne. However, this time, the collision took place on a large straight road, with no visibility issue. “There are additional shoulders, which allow a cyclist to really stay out of the way, adds Mme Bebronne. I have trouble explaining myself [ce qui a pu se passer]. »
No information has been shared by the Sûreté du Québec on the driver of the heavy truck.
More and more safe for cyclists
In 2021, 12 cyclists died in road accidents, according to the SAAQ’s partial road report published last December. This is the same number as in 2020, a year which represented an increase compared to the previous ones, according to Magali Bebronne.
Despite everything, cycling is, according to her, increasingly safe in Quebec: “The practice of cycling has also increased enormously, as has the number of vehicles in circulation. Generally, we can therefore say that it is increasingly safe to ride a bicycle. »