A young man is in critical condition after crashing in Outaouais; driver arrested

A young man is fighting for his life after being ejected from a vehicle during a single-vehicle crash early Sunday morning in Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix, in the Outaouais region, about an hour and a half northwest of Montreal.

The young man was one of four occupants of the vehicle that went off the road on William Rd., Route 323.

A 911 call notified emergency services at approximately 2:30 a.m.

"According to the first information gathered on the scene, the driver lost control of his vehicle in a curve, before rolling over several times," said Surete du Quebec spokesperson Sgt. Catherine Bernard.

The four youths in the vehicle were all transported to a hospital.

"One 23-year-old passenger was ejected. He is currently in critical condition at the hospital," said Bernard.

The other two passengers are in stable condition.

The driver, a 23-year-old male, was injured but is also in stable condition. He was arrested for driving while impaired by alcohol and/or drugs and will likely face charges.

Bernard said officers will obtain a warrant to take blood samples from him.

"Speed could also have played a role in this crash," said the SQ spokesperson.

An expert in collision reconstruction from the SQ has been requested on the scene. The vehicle will be examined in order to clarify the causes and circumstances of this road departure.

-- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on June 5, 2022.