A Quebec provincial police car is seen in Montreal on Wednesday, July 22, 2020. Police say several people have been injured after a vehicle plowed into pedestrians who were walking by the side of a road in Amqui, in Quebec's Bas-St-Laurent region. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson
AMQUI, Que. – Police say several people have been seriously injured after a vehicle plowed into pedestrians who were walking beside a road in Amqui, in Quebec’s Bas-St-Laurent region.
A witness said victims were spread over a distance of hundreds of metres, and the driver was being questioned by provincial police as of Monday afternoon.
Provincial police Sgt. Claude Doiron did not say how many people were hit but said some were badly hurt and their lives may be in danger.
Alain Gilbert, a truck driver, said he was driving into Amqui when an ambulance raced past him before almost immediately pulling over to attend to a person lying on the sidewalk.
As he drove, Gilbert saw more ambulances and more people on the ground – about four or possibly five people spread over a distance of about 500 metres, he believes.
He saw a police officer performing CPR on one person lying on the ground. “(That person) seemed to be in very bad shape,” he said in a phone interview. He said there didn’t appear to be any children in the group.
Doiron said the incident happened just after 3 p.m. along St-Benoit Boulevard in Amqui, about 350 kilometres northeast of Quebec City.
A spokesperson for the regional health board confirmed a code orange had been declared at the Amqui hospital, which normally indicates a disaster situation or one with a high number of casualties.
Both Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Quebec Premier François Legault responded with concern to the reports of serious injuries.
“As we learn more about the tragic events that have taken place, I’m keeping everyone affected in my thoughts,” Trudeau wrote on Twitter. “And to the first responders: Thank you for acting quickly, courageously, and professionally.”
Legault, also on Twitter, wrote: “All my thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones. Thank you to the first responders on the ground.”
Pascal Bérubé, who represents the region in the provincial legislature, said he was going to the scene and would not be present at the legislature on Tuesday. Public Security Minister François Bonnardel said he would also be heading to the scene.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2023.
