At least two people died after two heavy trucks and two vehicles caused a major pileup on Highway 40 East this afternoon near Trois-Rivières.
Around 12:30 p.m., a collision occurred “mainly between the two heavy trucks, including a milk tanker,” explains Sergeant Éloïse Cossette, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec. The event occurred at kilometer 194, in the north of the city.
A first vehicle, which got stuck between these two trucks, was completely destroyed. A second car, which was not at the heart of the accident, suffered minor damage.
The SQ confirmed “the death of at least two occupants of this [premier] vehicle” in the early evening. For the moment, the authorities are unable to identify the victims, neither their age nor their sex.
PHOTO STÉPHANE LESSARD, THE NEWSLETTER
The pileup created a major traffic jam.
The two truckers did not sustain serious injuries, although one of them was taken to a hospital as a precaution.
A team of reconstructionists moved on the ground to determine the causes of the accident. The Trois-Rivières Fire Department was also dispatched to the scene to extricate people from one of the vehicles.
Highway 40 had to close between exit 187 and the St-Jean Boulevard entrance until 10 p.m. Friday.