Gatineau man charged in connection with fatal hit and run

Gatineau police have charged a 31-year-old man in connection with a fatal hit and run on the edge of Gatineau Park last month that killed a 71-year-old woman.

The Gatineau man faces a charge of hit and run causing death and is expected to appear in court Friday.

The man was arrested Thursday at around 10 a.m., not long after police released a photo of a pickup truck equipped for snow removal that may have been involved in the March 16 hit and run.

Police say the man is not the owner of that truck.

The hit and run happened at about 8 p.m. near the intersection of promenade du Lac-des-Fées and rue Gamelin.

The woman was walking her adult tricycle northbound along Lac-des-Fées when she was struck and dragged several metres, Gatineau police said. It's not known whether she was walking along the side of the road or in the middle.

Police said the woman was taken to hospital in critical condition, where she later died. There's no evidence suggesting the vehicle stopped, police said.

Woman hit by truck with attached shovel

After witnesses came forward, Gatineau police said the woman was struck by a truck with a shovel attached to the front.

On Thursday, police released an image taken from video footage of what could be the same truck. The footage was filmed on rue Saint-Jean-Bosco nearly two hours before the collision, police said.

The photo showed a dark 4x4 truck with chrome-plated rear-view mirrors, a yellow light on the roof and a metal shield protecting the rear window. The bed of the truck had no back door or cover at the time.

Police said Thursday afternoon that although they have now made an arrest, they are still looking for witnesses. Anyone with information is asked to call Gatineau police at 819-243-4636.