No charges in pedestrian's death in St-Michel

A 54-year-old truck driver will not be charged in the death of a pedestrian last June after a Quebec coroner's report and recommendations.

Dilan Kaya, 22, was fatally struck at the intersection of Belair Street and 22nd Avenue in St-Michel.

Ten months later, coroner Jean Brochu has ruled her death accidental, saying Kaya did not look in the direction of the truck before crossing and the truck driver did not see her because she was so close to the large truck.

However, Brochu said several other factors led to the death. In his report, he wrote that surveillance videos show the truck did not come to a complete stop at the intersection, despite the presence of a stop sign.

The coroner also noted that the truck was in an area where trucks are not allowed.

In an email to CTV News, Montreal police say the investigation is over and the file was not given to the Crown prosecutor's office, adding that fines were given to the driver. The City of Montreal did not reply to a request for interview by deadline.

In the six-page coroner's report, Brochu recommends Quebec's automobile insurance board, the SAAQ, evaluate the possibility of mandatory flashing lights at the front of large vehicles. They would also be fitted with an external alarm to warn people about trucks turning or backing up.

However, in an email to CTV News, the SAAQ said "if too many vehicles are fitted with such a signal, it could become commonplace, or even a source of distraction for some vulnerable road users."

As for the lights, it said, "this equipment could lead to a reduction in the attention paid by various road users to emergency vehicles."

While the SAAQ seems unlikely to adopt the recommendations, it said it is always on the lookout for ways to improve road safety.