What could have been a simple exit from the road turned into a tragedy for the relatives of an 18-year-old young man who was hit on Saturday afternoon in Saint-Pie in Montérégie by another vehicle that also slipped on the road.
“We are all in shock: family, friends, church. Alex was a mediator. He radiated joy of life, everyone wanted to be with him,” testifies Guy Gosselin, Alex Dufault’s uncle by marriage.
Six days before the accident, the priest baptized the 18-year-old young man at the Carrefour Chrétien des Maskoutains in Saint-Hyacinthe in the presence of his family and loved ones.
“He was on his flight. He was happy, at his best in his relationships, which reassures us a little. But 18 years is too young…” says Mr. Gosselin.
Leaving the street
On Saturday around 4 p.m., his nephew skidded his car on Route 135, not far from the Sanair runway.
People came to help him. In particular, Alex called his 32-year-old brother Michael, who came to help him escape. A pickup truck hit them when it left the road at the same spot, confirmed Louis-Philippe Ruel, spokesman for the Sûreté du Québec.
Alex died from his injuries in hospital that same day. Michael was discharged on Sunday with five broken ribs and a pelvis.
“Alex’s departure will leave a big gap for his parents, his big brother, but also for his three sisters, his two little nephews, his family and many friends,” emphasizes Mr. Gosselin.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY GUY GOSSELIN
“He always had a smile on his face and was friendly to everyone. He was always joking, he always wanted to make people laugh. He ran away from the bully,” added Jennifer Roy, a school friend.
“It could have been me”
“The weather conditions could be to blame,” said Louis-Philippe Ruel, emphasizing that this case is not about criminal charges.
Before the collision, Frédéric Charest saw Alex’s car in the ditch and young people on the side of the road.
“As I passed them I almost lost control. I felt like I was on an oil slab. “It slid as if it were black ice,” says the father of the family from Saint-Hyacinthe.
About ten minutes later he heard the ambulance siren. “It could have been me who would have joined these young people,” he whispers.