A young child has died after being hit by a motorist backing into the driveway of a private property Saturday. The accident occurred on Béram St. in L'Épiphanie, Que., in the Lanaudière region.

Emergency services were dispatched around 11 a.m.

"According to initial information, a 34-year-old driver allegedly performed a reverse manoeuvre in order to leave the grounds of a private residence. During this manoeuvre, a child was hit while trying to retrieve an object from the lot," said Sûreté du Québec (SQ) spokesperson Nicolas Scholtus.

The child was transported to Pierre-Le Gardeur Hospital, where they were later pronounced dead.

Investigators were at the scene of the incident Saturday.

This report was first published in French by The Canadian Press on July 2, 2022.