Two Dead, Nine Injured After Pickup Truck Runs Down Pedestrians in Quebec

A man drove his pickup truck onto the sidewalk killing two older people and injuring nine others including a baby in Amqui, Quebec. Police has now shared that the driver acted deliberately and with premeditation. He handed himself over after the incident and will likely see murder charges for the hit-and-run.

The incident took place on Monday when Steeve Gagnon, 38, was driving in his pickup truck. He swerved from one side of the road to the other to hit victims who were walking on the sidewalk. The victims appeared to be selected at random. “We’re talking about pedestrians who were walking all along the (road), on both sides in fact, over a certain distance,” said Sgt. Claude Doiron.

It is unclear if the suspect knew the victims who were chosen at random. There were two casualties from the incident, Gérald Charest, 65, and Jean Lafrenière, 73. Nine other people were injured including a baby and a three-year-old toddler. They were taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. According to a report, the baby and toddler are in stable condition, but three adults remain in critical condition.

Gagnon turned himself in shortly after the incident. He is under investigation for the hit-and-run and murder. Doiron added that the suspect will likely face first-degree murder charges for the hit-and-run. The suspect does not have any police history, but it is unclear why he committed the crime.

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