MONTREAL - Dozens of friends of Audrey-Anne Dumont, the 20-year-old woman who died after falling on the metro tracks at the Monk station on the morning of April 19, assembled Friday outside the station to honour her memory.
The coroner is investigating claims that the young woman fell onto the tracks between two metro cars because she was distracted by her cell phone.
The woman’s body was dragged through the tunnel and recovered at the Verdun station.
Her parents have reported that they believe she fell because she was busy tinkering with her phone and did not look at where she was going.
Dumont, who had turned 20 just four days earlier, was known as a hardworking and outgoing young woman who was remembered fondly by all who convened Friday.
"Honestly, she was the most perfect girl. Her smile, the way she talked....everything...she was amazing," said one friend.
Many of those who showed up to informally recall her memory at the station Friday sported blue clothing, as a salute to her favourite colour.
Montreal transit boss Michel Labrecque, interviewed by CTV Montreal Friday, noted that it's rare for people to slip into the gap between metro cars.
"It’s a sad accident," he said. "It’ a truly rare accident, not only for the metro in Montreal, but for metros around the world. You have to ask what measures could be taken from a budget point of view, said Michel Labrecque.
Some metro platforms, such as those in Paris and Shanghai, are equipped with barriers to prevent such fatal accidents, but Labrecque noted that the next generation of metros in Montreal will have no gaps between metro cars.
Dumont's funeral will take place Saturday in St. Jean, south of Montreal.
