About 70 vehicles were involved in a major pile-up on Highway 40 on Saturday afternoon in Yamachiche.
According to information provided by Sergeant Marythé Bolduc of the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), the initial impact would have occurred around 1:00 p.m. Subsequently, dozens of other vehicles collapsed to form the massive pile-up.
It would seem that a jackknifing of a heavy truck was the cause of the accident. Road conditions described as “difficult” by the SQ could also have played a role in the event.
In a press release, the SQ said a few hours after the accident that several people had suffered injuries. A victim would suffer more serious injuries.
Highway 40 was still closed eastbound late Saturday afternoon from kilometer 175.
A note on the Transports Québec portal indicated at 13:31 that the A-40 was closed for an “indefinite period” in the east direction “at the height [de la] route du Pays-Brûlé ”.
We can also read that the road is snow-covered and that visibility is reduced in places on this important road link in the Mauricie region.
According to information from the SQ, firefighters, paramedics, tugs and employees of the Ministry of Transport were on site to evacuate people and move damaged vehicles.
The Minister of Transport, François Bonnardel, reacted on Twitter. He said in particular that a refuge was opened by the municipality of Yamachiche to temporarily accommodate people whose vehicle is stuck on the highway. The Minister advises that traffic could resume in the early evening.
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