SAINT-COME - LINIERE, QUE. -- A man in his 70s died on Saturday after the backhoe he was driving overturned while he was clearing snow.

The accident occurred on a private road located in a wooded area on his land, in Saint-Come-Liniere, in Beauce, about an hour-and-a-half south of Quebec City.

Surete du Quebec (SQ) police officers reported being informed of the situation at around 9.45 a.m.

The backhoe overturned when leaving the path towards a steep part, said SQ spokesperson Claude Denis.

The man was found unconscious, in critical condition. He was pronounced dead in hospital.

It is not a workplace accident, said Denis.

Officers are studying the cause of the accident.

-- this report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 27, 2021.