The wife of a man who perished following a violent swerve near Laurier-Station, in Chaudière-Appalaches, barely had time to tell him that she loved him before he succumbed to his injuries.
• Read also: [PHOTOS] Laurier-Station: a driver loses his life after a violent swerve
Stanley O’Quinn, his wife Cindy and their son were heading to Prince Edward Island, where they live, when the tragedy occurred around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
They were on their way home from visiting their daughter in Ontario when they returned from a trip to the Dominican Republic. But the weather cocktail that hit Quebec the same day left them no chance.
“We drove on a patch of ice and Stanley lost control. The van ended up on the hood, in the ditch”, explains in English Mme O’Quinn, contacted by The newspaper.
Photo from Cindy O’Quinn’s Facebook
They were then near kilometer 280 on Highway 20, near Laurier-Station. According to the authorities, the road conditions were particularly bad in this sector during the swerve.
A waking nightmare
Miraculously, Cindy O’Quinn and her son escaped virtually unscathed. But the 67-year-old retired father was not so lucky.
“After the accident, I asked him if he was okay. He told me he was having trouble breathing. I had time to tell him I love you, then the emergency services got us out of the car, ”says his wife, a tremolo in her voice.
These are the last words that the couple exchanged. According to their daughter Lindsay, Stanley O’Quinn died of a heart attack on the spot. The paramedics didn’t even have time to transport him to the hospital.
“It’s just a waking nightmare,” whispers the couple’s daughter.
PHOTO QMI AGENCY, RENÉ LECLERC
A man loved by all
The next few days are shaping up to be bleak for Cindy O’Quinn and her son who will have to deal with insurance, renting a car, lodging and the paperwork that comes with the death of a loved one, as they find themselves more than 1000 km from home.
“We have to wait until Tuesday for the cremation of my husband, before we can bring him back to Ontario for the funeral service,” sighs Ms.me O’Quinn en route to the crash site in a taxi.
“Stanley was an incredible man, a big teddy bear loved by everyone who made friends wherever he went,” his wife concludes emotionally.