Woman's death in collision on Que.'s Highway 50 raising questions about road's safety
A woman died in a car crash on April 27 on Highway 50, a stretch of road considered deadly by many locals.
Sophie Chenier's family is the latest to plead for the government to take action and improve safety on the road between Gatineau and Mirabel.
"It's called the Highway of Death," said her brother Martin Chenier, from the nearby town of Lachute.
He said his sister was a cheerful person who always brought happiness to the family.
"She loved bringing joy to the family," he said.
About 60 per cent of the highway only has one lane in each direction and after years of local residents and politicians calling for the highway to be widened, the province launched a multi-million dollar project to add two more lanes along 96 of the 158-kilometre road.
That, however, won't be completed until 2032.
What's most painful about the loss, said Martin, was that he feels it was preventable.
The other driver, a 35-year-old man, was arrested for impaired driving and Martin said he's in disbelief that this is still happening in 2024.
"There's so many alternatives today, from taxis to Ubers," he said.
Although he deplores the role the driver played in his sister's death, Martin said it's the lack of action on the part of the Quebec Transport Ministry that he is most frustrated with.
"There's nothing in place to prevent collisions," he said. "No concrete blocks, no cables to prevent vehicles crosssing the centre line."
Since December alone, four other people have lost their lives on the same stretch of highway.
Between 2020 and 2022, the Transport Ministry has recorded 14 deaths.
Martin Chernier and his family have one clear message for the province: "Act before someone else dies."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Introducing peanut butter during infancy can help protect against a peanut allergy later on, new study finds
New evidence suggests that feeding children smooth peanut butter during infancy and early childhood can help reduce their risk of developing a peanut allergy even years later.
P.E.I. kiteboarder 'lucky to be alive' after shark attack in Turks and Caicos
A professional kiteboarder from P.E.I. says he has been seriously injured in a shark attack that occurred while he was snorkelling in the Turks and Caicos Islands last week.
New COVID-19 subvariants become the dominant strains in Canada
More than four years after COVID-19 effectively shut down the world, two new variants of COVID-19 have become the dominant strains of the novel coronavirus in Canada.
Black bear kebabs make family sick with parasitic worms
It was supposed to be a celebration, but one family’s unique meal of black bear meat sent several members to the hospital instead.
The double-level airplane seat is back. This time, there's a first-class version
It’s the airplane seat design that launched a thousand memes and kickstarted a media storm. And now the double-level seat is back – only this time, with a twist.
'Unruly passenger' forces WestJet flight to make emergency landing in B.C.
A WestJet flight heading to Calgary had to make an emergency landing in northern B.C. Monday due to an incident involving an 'unruly passenger,' Mounties say.
NEW Oilers superfan hopeful Edmonton wins so he can get his massive Stanley Cup tattoo retouched
It's been a long time coming, but one Oilers superfan is hoping this will be the year he gets to touch up his massive Stanley Cup back tattoo.
House of Commons Speaker Greg Fergus survives vote calling for his ouster
Greg Fergus survived a vote to oust him as House of Commons Speaker on Tuesday, but with close to half of MPs expressing a loss of confidence in him, he faces a precarious path forward in maintaining order in Parliament.
'It was hell': Israeli mother held hostage with her children describes 51 days in captivity
Hagar Brodutch, her three children and four-year-old neighbour were kidnapped by Hamas-led militants from their home in Kfar Aza, Israel on Oct. 7 and held for 51 days. They were released in November, but Brodutch says her thoughts are never far from those still being held in Gaza.