13-year-old dead after heavy truck collision on Que. highway, 4 others in critical condition

A 13-year-old girl has died following a major collision on Highway 20, about 70 kilometres southwest of Montreal.

She was one of three children and two adults seriously injured.

The other two children are both under 10 years old and remain in critical condition at the hospital, police said Monday morning. The man, 49, and woman, 44, are also in critical condition.

First responders were called to the scene near Saint-Zotique, Que. around 10:45 a.m.

According to provincial police (SQ), a heavy truck crashed into a vehicle with the five passengers inside. The driver of the truck was not injured.

Earlier in the day, there was another vehicle that lost control nearby the crash site. That crash caused traffic to slow, which police say could have contributed to the fatal collision.

"The driver of a heavy truck was unable to stop in time to avoid the slowdown in traffic," read an SQ press release.

There have been no arrests. 

Three children and two adults were critically injured in a crash involving a heavy truck near Saint-Zotique, Que. on July 2, 2023. (CTV News/Cosmo Santamaria)

Collision investigators were called in to gather more information on the crash.

On Monday, police said the crash scene had been completely cleared and an investigation is ongoing.

EDITOR'S NOTE -- Police had earlier reported the young girl was 10 years old. Her age was later clarified by an SQ spokesperson. The above article has been updated.