2 motorists dead after semi plows into stopped traffic near Trois-Rivières
A collision involving a semi-trailer and five other vehicles left two people dead on Highway 55 in central Quebec Thursday afternoon.
According to the Sûreté du Québec, the semi was carrying livestock northbound at about 1 p.m. near the Laviolette Bridge when it failed to stop for a lineup of idling vehicles in Bécancour, Que., just across the river from Trois-Rivières.
The cars were stopped in the right lane due to the closure of the left lane for road construction.
In total, three cars, a van and a second semi were hit by the truck.
A 41-year-old man from Bécancour and a 67-year-old man from Pointe-aux-Trembles were killed in the collision.
In addition to the two fatalities, three people sustained minor injuries, including the truck driver, who was treated for shock.
Provincial police are working to determine why the driver could not stop in time. They say the straight stretch of road was not icy and visibility was good when the collision occurred.
