The daughter of a pedestrian killed by the driver of a van who allegedly “ never seen » is concerned about the lack of visibility of this type of vehicle, which is becoming increasingly popular in Quebec.
“Today, when I see the three letters GMC, I shudder,” says Josée Lagacé on the phone, speaking of the American brand that only produces large vehicles.
On November 16, 2021, her mother Réjeanne Marion Lagacé, 78, took her daily walk in Joliette, in Lanaudière, without realizing that it would be her last.
“My mother went for a walk like she did every evening, with coffee in her hand. She went around the corner. She respected the pedestrian crossing [et le feu de circulation lui permettant de traverser] » says Ms. Lagacé.
At the same time, the driver of a GMC Sierra, a 5,000-pound pickup truck, turned left with his green light flashing.
According to the coroner’s report, he struck Ms. Marion with his bumper as she turned. “A witness reported that the collision resulted in the fall of Ms. Marion Lagacé, who was thrown a distance of several meters and suffered an impact on the head,” it reads.
“It is a tragic death that we experience every day of our lives, my sister and I,” says Ms. Lagacé. We will never come back. She was a woman in excellent shape and full of potential. She was radiant, authentic, alert. »
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Alarmed by coffee in the windshield
Accompanied by her sister, Josée Lagacé was able to meet the driver of the van after the tragedy to try to understand the circumstances of the accident.
“It happened quietly. […] The driver said he never saw her. What made him stop was that coffee [de ma mère] arrived in his windshield. »
“I don’t understand why the vehicle didn’t allow him to see the person who was crossing,” wonders Ms. Lagacé.
A US study published in 2022 found that vans were 42% more likely to kill pedestrians than cars when turning left because these vehicles do not provide drivers with good visibility. It was precisely under these circumstances that Ms. Marion Lagacé died.
“I call on the manufacturers who build these trucks to improve their visibility so that we no longer receive comments like those of the driver who killed my mother,” asks Josée Lagacé.
It also has a message for those who buy this type of vehicle, whose numbers on Quebec roads have increased by 17% in the last nine years.
“I ask them the question: Do you really need this? »
“If you need a pickup truck to drive through the woods, that’s one thing, but if you need it to drive through downtown, that’s another,” she concludes.