MONTREAL—A 17-year-old Vanier College student found herself in a frightening situation on her way to school Thursday. Now Montreal police are looking for a man in his fifties driving a white vehicle suspected of assault.

The girl was walking to the school at 7 a.m. when she was stopped at the corner of O'Brien Ave. and Tasse St. by a man in his 50s in a white vehicle. The driver asked if he could offer the girl a ride and she agreed, at which point the driver made multiple sexual comments.

The girl stepped out of the car a few blocks later once she reached Vanier College at de L'Eglise St. and St. Croix Ave. She then reported the incident to campus security. They in turn called police to report the incident.

With the school’s administration warning students after the incident, the girl’s colleagues say news of the car ride was completely unexpected.

“I was shocked! I mean I would never think something like this could happen,” said one student.

Police said they consider this a form of sexual assault and will investigate.

“We told our colleagues also at CEGEP St-Laurent next door because it's the same neighbourhood,” said the college’s director general, Gilbert Heroux.

Even though it happened off campus, the incident is worrisome to Heroux. School grounds are equipped with security guards and cameras, just in case.

“A college like Vanier is a small town. You've got day in, day out, seven to 8,000 people coming through the college, be they staff, students, visitors. You've got to be prepared to deal with situations that call for security,” said Heroux.

In this case, the student was not physically attacked.