A head-on collision between a car and a bus killed one person on Route 117 in Rouyn-Noranda, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, early Monday morning.

According to Hugues Beaulieu, spokesperson for the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), the car deviated from its lane for an unknown reason while travelling southbound, shortly after 1 a.m. Monday.

The driver, a 35-year-old man, was taken to hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

Five people were on the bus at the time of impact. Only the driver was treated for minor injuries.

Route 117 was closed for several hours to allow SQ investigators to try to understand what caused this fatal impact.

According to Sgt. Beaulieu, several leads were evaluated Monday morning, including the victim falling asleep at the wheel, or that the vehicle he was driving had a mechanical problem.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on July 10, 2023