A night out at the movies ended in tragedy on the South Shore Wednesday night.
According to Longueuil police, a 4-month-old baby was killed after being hit by a car in the parking lot of the Cine-parc Boucherville at around 11:25 p.m. The vehicle was backing up and the driver did not see the young girl.
Witnesses at the drive-in theatre said the baby was in a small tent on the ground near the back end of the vehicle.
Her parents placed her there next to their family car as they were packing up after the movie. They planned to pick up the child and seat her in the car when the incident happened.
One witness said the first film had ended and the second was about to begin as people were starting to leave when he heard screaming.
Some people at the scene rushed in and attempted lifesaving manoeuvres, but the child's injuries were too severe. Witnesses say there was a head injury. The baby was quickly taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The child's parents as well as the first responding police officers were treated for shock.
Investigators spent several hours at the scene in order to understand the exact circumstances that led to the tragedy but said the incident was an accident and the driver won't face charges.
Longueuil police confirmed there was no indication of alcohol use in the incident.
In a statement Cineplex Odeon offered their condolences to the family of the infant.
"With respect to the specifics around how this tragedy occurred, we are doing everything we can to assist the local authorities as they complete their investigation," they said.
