Man in his 20s in critical condition after crashing into snowplow in Abitibi-Temiscamingue

Surete du Quebec

A man in his 20s is fighting for his life in hospital after his vehicle crashed into a snowplow on a public road in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.

Emergency services were notified Wednesday, around 3:30 p.m., of the collision that had just occurred on 10e-et-1er-Rang West in La Reine, a small municipality of 340 people located near La Sarre.

According to preliminary information, the westbound car collided with the snowplow, which was driving westbound. "The driver of the car, who was alone in his vehicle, was seriously injured," said Sûreté du Québec (SQ) spokesperson Sgt. Hélène St-Pierre.

The man was in critical condition when he was transported to the hospital.

A section of the road was closed to traffic to allow a SQ collision investigator to analyze the scene.

According to the preliminary investigation, weather conditions at the time of the collision could have been a factor. "We're talking about blowing snow," said Sgt. St-Pierre. 

The roadway was also snowy or icy in several places in the area, according to the Department of Transportation. The snow made travel difficult in many areas of the province on Wednesday.

In the Quebec City area alone, the Quebec City Police Department (SPVQ) reported about 30 collisions in the early evening, most of them involving property damage and all of them not serious for the people involved.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 19, 2022.