A 65-year-old pedestrian died after being hit by a truck and pinned under it for a few minutes in the heart of downtown Saint-Hyacinthe on Thursday morning.
The accident happened around 9:30 a.m. on the corner of Rue des Cascades Ouest and Avenue de la Concorde Nord.
Photo agency QMI, MAXIME DELAND
According to the authorities, the truck, weighing several tons, turned left onto Avenue de la Concorde Nord when crossing the street.
After the impact, the truck driver immobilized his vehicle while the victim’s legs were trapped under the wheels.
A delicate operation was launched to lift the truck and free the woman.
The latter was conscious at the time and was even able to speak to the rescue workers who tried to help her.
MAXIME DELAND/QMI AGENCY
Unfortunately, the pedestrian went into cardiac arrest when the dump truck was finally able to be lifted.
The victim was taken to the hospital and resuscitation maneuvers were performed to bring him back to life.
His death was announced shortly thereafter.
A traffic light exists at this intersection, but it has been disabled to improve traffic flow in the area where road works are making life difficult for motorists.
Only red turn signals operate, so people must stop completely before driving off.
MAXIME DELAND/QMI AGENCY
According to our information, the truck driver did not stop before turning.
The authorities do not rule out that criminal charges will be filed in this case.
The intersection where the tragedy occurred was closed to traffic to allow the Sûreté du Québec accident reconstruction specialists to conduct their investigation.