Relatives of latest crash victims want changes to Highway 50
CBC News | Posted: July 30, 2019 10:37 AM | Last Updated: July 30, 2019
CAQ government promises improvements are coming, but has no timeline yet
Relatives of people who were injured in a head-on crash on Highway 50 early Sunday morning say the road urgently needs safety improvements.
Stéphanie Lalonde and her husband Sébastien Clément remain in hospital from the crash in eastern Gatineau that also injured three others.
Natacha Monette, Lalonde's sister, said both had to undergo hours of surgery from their injuries and Clément remains sedated for pain.
"I thought my brother wasn't going to survive. The vehicle was in pieces," said Clément's sister, Valérie Lafond.
The highway runs to the Montreal area and is not divided past the Masson-Angers exit.
The crash was the third serious crash on the western Quebec road in July.
On July 11, five people were injured in a serious crash and on July 12, a 25-year-old man was killed.
Monette said it's only sheer luck that more people haven't been killed and she wants the government to do more to prevent greater tragedies, echoing calls from local politicians and relatives of previous crash victims.
- Families of crash victims urge Quebec to move faster on Highway 50 widening
- CAQ not ready to fund Highway 50 widening
Rachelle Clément, Sébastien's mother, said there have been far too many collisions there and nothing has been done.
"Add a lane, put up a wall, do something," she said.
Marie-Chantal Baguia, a spokesperson for the Quebec Ministry of Transportation, said there is a "dedicated team" on the issue, but they don't have a specific timeline for improvements.
She said it's important to do all the necessary planning work to get the job done right.