A traffic accident in the Laurentians last summer that killed a couple and left a large family in mourning could be explained by the driver’s drug-impaired skills, the coroner concluded in his inquest report.
• Also read: Two dead in a violent collision with a truck
The lives of Franck Chauvel, 56, and Laurie Jane Pitts, 55, came to a violent end on the morning of August 24 on Route 327 near Lachute Hospital in the small town of Brownsburg-Chatham.
Aboard a Honda Civic, Mr Chauvel was attempting to turn off Rue de la Côte-Sinclair when an imposing heavyweight hit him head-on.
After being freed from the vehicle, those who had shared their lives for some 35 years were in critical condition.
The two adults, who had five children – one of whom has died in the past – and several grandchildren, sadly succumbed to their injuries shortly thereafter.
“Your family loves you very much and you are greatly missed,” a daughter of the couple, who chose not to comment on the coroner’s investigation, told the Journal on the day of the tragedy.
forced stop
The dump truck driver had been treated for nervous shock.
He was traveling at about 50 km/h when Franck Chauvel “failed to make his prescribed stop on Rue de la Côte Sinclair and suddenly turned onto Route 327,” according to Me’s report, Donald Nicole.
Analysis has shown that Mr Chauvel had levels of methamphetamine in his blood, a psychostimulant synthetic drug compatible with recreational use, the coroner notes.
Traces of cannabis and cocaine were also found on the father of the family.
And because of that cocktail, the Brownsburg-Chatham resident “did not adequately ensure the absence of hazards before embarking on Route 327,” the report continues.
“According to the police investigation, traffic signs, road infrastructure, weather conditions and the mechanical condition of the vehicles involved did not significantly contribute to the accident,” adds Me Donald Nicole.