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2w ago

Quebec Construction Holiday Ends With Record Road Death Toll

Increased traffic on unpaved rural routes contributed to more than double the usual fatalities over the two-week holiday period.

Quebec provincial police are investigating a homicide in Rimouski, Que., about 270 kilometres northeast of Quebec City, after finding a 35-year-old man dead in an apartment building Friday. A Surete du Quebec police shoulder patch is seen in Montreal, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
A Surete du Quebec police car is seen at their headquarters in Montreal, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
The word "police" is reflected on a Surete du Quebec vehicle in Montreal, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi

Overview

  • Quebec provincial police recorded more than twice as many road deaths this year compared with the same stretch in 2024, marking the deadliest construction holiday period on record.
  • On August 2 in St-Luc-de-Bellechasse, a vehicle collided with a tree on an unpaved, narrow road, killing a 29-year-old man and three children under 10.
  • First responders found the occupants trapped and unresponsive; all were rushed to hospital and later pronounced dead.
  • Two fatal motorcycle accidents on Saturday and a three-vehicle crash in Cowansville on Sunday that left two people in critical condition have further swelled the casualty figures.
  • Authorities are probing the causes of these crashes as they contend with surging holiday travel and hazardous rural road conditions.