A fatal collision occurred on the morning of April 8, 2025, between a car and a truck on Highway 55 in Saint-Wenceslas, resulting in the death of the car's driver. The head-on crash took place at kilometer 158 after the car swerved out of its lane, colliding with a 53-foot truck traveling in the opposite direction.
Emergency services were alerted shortly after 8:30 AM, responding to the scene where the driver of the car was pronounced dead upon arrival. The truck driver, however, was evaluated by paramedics and found to be unharmed.
According to Sergeant Louis-Philippe Ruel, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec in Estrie and Centre-du-Québec, the truck was heading north while the car was traveling south when the incident occurred. "The car swerved out of its lane," Ruel explained, highlighting the circumstances surrounding the collision.
As a result of the accident, Highway 55 has been closed in both directions between the 9th range in Saint-Wenceslas and the Rang du Pays-Brûlé in Saint-Célestin. The closure is indefinite, as the investigation into the crash continues.
The Sûreté du Québec has initiated an inquiry to determine the precise factors leading to the accident. While it is too early to establish a definitive cause, Ruel mentioned that weather conditions could potentially be a contributing factor. On the day of the incident, the region was under a snowfall warning, with Environment Canada predicting between 15 and 20 centimeters of snow by the end of the day.
This tragic incident marks the second fatal collision on Highway 55 within just a few days. On April 4, 2025, a semi-trailer truck making a U-turn on the highway in Saint-Célestin was involved in a crash that resulted in the deaths of both occupants of a car that collided with it.
In addition to the incident on Highway 55, the poor weather conditions have led to several other accidents in the region. Earlier on the same day, around 7:25 AM, four vehicles were involved in a collision on the Marc-Trudel bridge in Shawinigan, resulting in two individuals being transported to the hospital.
Additionally, a 53-foot truck left the roadway on Route 367 at kilometer 93 in Notre-Dame-de-Montauban around 7:15 AM, causing a power outage that affected approximately 803 Hydro-Québec subscribers. The service interruption is expected to be resolved by 3:00 PM.
Fifteen minutes after the truck incident, a van traveling on Principale Street in Saint-Étienne-des-Grès struck a pole, further illustrating the dangers presented by the inclement weather.
Authorities are advising drivers to exercise caution in these conditions, urging them to slow down and maintain a safe distance from other vehicles. Sergeant Éloïse Cossette, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec in Mauricie and Lanaudière, emphasized the importance of retaining winter driving skills during this snowy period. "People who have already equipped their cars with summer tires should avoid traveling," she cautioned.
As the investigation into the fatal collision on Highway 55 continues, the community mourns the loss of life and reflects on the importance of road safety, particularly during adverse weather conditions. The Sûreté du Québec is expected to provide updates as they gather more information about the circumstances surrounding both the recent accidents and the ongoing weather challenges in the area.
