Motorists had the fear of their lives while traveling on the Laurentian highway on Friday evening. Many vehicles were strafed with blocks of ice and rocks out of nowhere that caused thousands of dollars in damage.
The drivers involved and their vehicles were traveling southbound near Victoria Park. They were hit head-on by debris thrown by a snow blower from the Ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ) which was in the other direction.
Félix Archambault was returning from a beautiful evening at Igloofest Québec with a couple of friends. He was driving his brand new BMW M340 car when a “cannon shot” hit the sunroof.
Photo credit: Felix Archambault
It shattered and a huge piece of ice landed on the knees of a passenger who had taken a seat in the back. Other projectiles smashed through its windshield and damaged its mirrors.
“At the time, I tried not to panic, because there were cars everywhere around me. It would have been quite a pileup if I had reacted in any other way.
Photo credit: Felix Archambault
The operator of the snow removal equipment would not have seen what was happening on the other side, since an accumulation of snow “about 10 feet high” would have prevented him from doing so.
State of shock
Immediately after the events, Mr. Archambault headed for the nearest Sûreté du Québec station to file a complaint. “When I arrived, I realized that I had been followed by several others. Some cars were still a lot more messed up than mine,” he says.
Photo credit: Felix Archambault
A taxi following his car showed up at the police station with a dented hood and a huge impact in its windshield. Other angry drivers also marched past the police.
“Everyone was in shock, it was so unexpected. Pieces of rock and ice began to fall from the sky,” continues Félix Archambault. The 20-year-old says he is “afraid to get back behind the wheel” since the incident.
More fear than harm
Even though he and his friends came close to disaster, he considers himself “lucky in his misfortune”. “We have a few cuts from the shards of glass, but it couldn’t have been much worse.”
Photo credit: Felix Archambault
The injured driver consoles himself with the fact that the damage was only material. “A coat, benches and a sunroof can be replaced. On the other hand, it is frustrating because my insurance premium will increase for something that I had no means of preventing or avoiding.