(Laval) Citizens said they had to control the driver in crisis of the Société de transport de Laval (STL) bus who drove his vehicle at high speed into a daycare center in the Sainte-Rose district on Wednesday morning, killing two young children and seriously injuring six others.
“The bus was in the daycare, it had arrived with speed,” explains Hamdi Benchaabane, who lives in the house next to the Ste-Rose Educational Daycare.
Arriving there quickly, Mr. Benchaabane saw the driver get out of the bus and begin to take off his clothes.
“He took off his pants and underwear. It was chaotic. He wanted to run away, but me and some daycare dads jumped on it. He was screaming and didn’t want to let it go. To tell you the truth, we had to hit him to control him. »
Mr. Benchaabane was able to rescue a child who was trapped under the bus. “Fortunately, he was not seriously injured, he was bleeding a bit from his face. But I heard that there were other voices under the bus, and the firefighters arrived and took care of the help, because pieces of roof were falling in the nursery. »
PHOTO CHRISTINNE MUSCHI, REUTERS
Hamdi Benchaabane
After the tragedy, about twenty children from the daycare center were transported by bus to the Parc primary school, located nearby. The place has become a gathering point for emergency services, the police and parents.
Outside, a father who said his name was Steve was waiting with his elementary-aged daughter who was protecting herself from the cold with a blanket. Her two other children, aged one and a half and two and a half, were in the daycare at the time of the impact and were with their mother inside the Parc school.
“You have to be disturbed to do that,” he said. Why would anyone want to pick on children? »
The neighborhood where the tragedy occurred is usually calm and safe, said the worry-ridden father. “You can’t get a quieter place than this.” »
Then, from inside the school rang out soul-rending screams. A policewoman came out into the parking lot to ask for help from paramedics inside the school.
Another father, who did not give his name, said he returned in a panic to the daycare where he had just dropped off his child a few minutes earlier after being contacted by a family member who works at the hospital.
“He told me that there was a code orange lookout at Ste-Rose daycare and he knew my child was going there. I arrived and now my child is in school and out of danger, thankfully,” he said, still shaken by the turn of events.
The 51-year-old driver has been an STL employee for ten years. The Laval Police Department said Wednesday he would be charged with homicide and dangerous driving. “He will be interviewed by investigators,” spokeswoman Erika Landry said.
It is not known at this time whether or not there is a link between the man and the Ste-Rose Educational Daycare.
Ministers on site
On the spot, François Bonnardel, Minister of Public Security, spoke of a “tragedy” that is shaking all of Quebec. “We are here to support families. There is a crisis cell that has been set up by the City of Laval, ”he added.
PHOTO PATRICK SANFAÇON, THE PRESS
Laval Police Service Chief Pierre Brochet and Quebec Public Security Minister François Bonnardel upon their arrival at the scene
Suzanne Roy, the Minister of Families, said that “all the parents of Quebec” were with the parents of Laval. “It’s a nameless situation. When we drop our children off at daycare for the day, they are in good hands. There happens an event like this… We contact all the parents this afternoon also to tell them that the children will all have a place tomorrow in other daycare centers within a radius of five kilometers from here. »
On site during the day on Wednesday, Stéphane Boyer, the mayor of Laval, was able to meet parents from the Ste-Rose Educational Daycare. “We want Laval to be there at every stage for families. We accompanied people today who were in shock, but shocks can also occur later, in the coming days. We will be there to provide support. »
Pierre Brochet, Laval police chief, said Wednesday morning’s events were difficult for the police and fire department workers.
“We offer our condolences to the families of the victims. I’ve been there since Wednesday morning, and I saw police officers crying. You know, when you become a police officer, you know what to expect, but tragedies involving children affect us all. We are all parents or grandparents…”, he said, adding that psychological support cells had been deployed for parents as well as for police officers and fire department responders.