A five-metre long metal construction beam fell Wednesday afternoon at the CHUM construction site on Viger Ave., near Sanguinet, shattering the rear windshield of a taxi.
The incident took place at about 1 p.m. Thursday on the south side of Viger near the corner of Sanguinet St.
The beam fell from the CHUM Research Centre (known as the CHERCHUM) which is in the process of being built.
The research centre is associated with the French superhospital but it is a separate project with different builders.
A crane was lifting the beam when it fell several feet.
"When the beam hit the ground, there was a taxi cab passing by. The beam bounced and hit the taxi cab," said Montreal police Const. Daniel Lacoursiere.
The taxi was bruised but not heavily damaged and its passengers escaped possible disaster.
"The taxi was going in front of the building,"said eyewitness Mathieu Blais. "The back glass was broken, we saw the beam in the middle of the street."
Two elderly women from Ottawa were in the backseat of the cab, and were not injured.
Police say the driver spoke with a construction site supervisor to exchange information before he drive away.
Police are considering this as a road accident since the vehicle was in motion when it was hit.
Pedestrians interviewed near the scene offered CTV a mixed bag of reactions to the possible threat of death by construction mishap.
"Bad stuff happens and it sucks but I won't change my life because of what happened here," said one woman.
The Workers Safety Board (CSST) is investigating the incident.
