2 pedestrians, including 11-year-old boy, fatally struck by vehicles in Montreal area

Two pedestrians have died after being hit by vehicles in separate incidents Monday evening — including an 11-year-old boy in Montreal's Mile End neighbourhood.

The boy, a member of the Hasidic community, was on his way to a store to buy school supplies, said Mayer Feig, a spokesperson for the community.

"The community is in deep mourning and deep shock," Feig said. "It's a tight-knit community where everybody knows each other."

The incident took place around 7:30 p.m. The driver was turning right onto Bernard Avenue at the corner of Parc Avenue and hit the boy while he was crossing the street, according to police. 

The child's death was confirmed in hospital. The driver, a 28-year-old man, was not injured.

Feig said the boy's funeral was held this morning, in accordance with Jewish tradition.

He said many community members feel the intersection is not well lit, making it unsafe after dark.

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante took to X to comment on the child's death and urge drivers to be careful on the roads. 

"Another death on our streets, last night. This time it's an 11-year-old child," the mayor wrote. "Let's protect the most vulnerable people on the roads. It's in everyone's best interest."

About two hours after that collision, a 78-year-old man was hit by a car in Châteauguay, a city on Montreal's South Shore. The victim was crossing the street at the corner of St-Jean-Baptiste Boulevard and Dunver Street.

His death was also confirmed in hospital and Châteauguay police are investigating. 

Fall season presents risks

According to the province's automobile insurance board, the fall season is particularly dangerous for pedestrians.

In a statement it put out on Oct. 1 to raise awareness about the dangers facing pedestrians, the Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) said an average of 525 pedestrians suffered injuries after being hit by vehicles during the months of October and November between 2019 and 2023.

André Durocher, CAA-Québec's community relations and road safety director, was once in charge of investigating road collisions for the Montreal police. He says the weather change and daylight saving time are contributing factors to the spike in collisions during those months.

"People who leave early for work earlier in the morning, it's still dark. They come home and it's dark," Durocher told CBC News.

"When I was head of the collisions investigation unit and we analyzed the various cases … in most cases, they're due to human error."

Durocher says drivers should understand that they are in control of a vehicle that weighs thousands of pounds and should do everything they can to protect vulnerable road users. 

"When you drive, it's a full-time job. Keep your eyes on the road and not on your sound system or on your cellphone or on the scenery. Look far, look wide and look for potential dangers," he said.

He also says pedestrians can improve their safety this time of year by wearing clothes or having items that help make them more visible.

Here are other safety tips from the SAAQ:

• Drivers should check their blind spots, especially those from the windshield.
• Drivers should adapt to poor visibility and slippery roads by slowing down.
• Drivers should respect road signs like speed limits and pedestrian walkways.
• Pedestrians should assume drivers have not seen them if they have not established eye contact. 
• Pedestrians should avoid distractions like cellphones and headphones while crossing an intersection.