A 44-year-old Transport Ministry worker was killed and seven others injured when a car struck them in Montreal’s west end on Friday night.
Of the injured, five were seriously hurt, though officials said their lives are not in danger. The other two were treated for nervous shock.
The accident happened at 11:30 p.m. on Highway 20 West near the exit to the 520 West. The right lane had been closed for road work, with signage and protective vehicles put in place.
A van and SUV collided in the centre lane and the SUV veered into the group of workers.
The Surete du Quebec said the SUV was hit from behind by a pickup truck.
The driver of the van, a 38-year-old man, was arrested for impaired driving causing death injury.
The SQ said he now faces 16 charges, including impaired driving causing death.
The SUV driver was hospitalized for minor injuries.
In a statement, Quebec Transport Minister Andre Fortin expressed condolences to the family and loved ones of the killed worker.
"The safety of workers is a priority for the government and we must all be very vigilant around roadworks," he said.
The SQ said the right lane was closed while workers were on the highway – but some would like to see even more measures taken to ensure the safety of road workers.
The president for Quebec’s Association of Road Signallers said he would have closed the highway altogether while workers were on-site.
“We’re not protected,” explained Jean-Francois Dionne. “We have our truck that protects us, but after that, it’s only orange cones.”
Dionne said being a road worker is one of the most dangerous jobs – he urged drivers to move over when they see signs for road work, and to slow down.
