Laval police have interviewed multiple witnesses to a hit and run that killed a 75-year-old man and put a 73-year-old woman in hospital.
The man and woman had just parked their car and were walking toward a McDonald's at 2180 Laurentides Blvd. in Laval when someone driving a black luxury SUV leaving the drive-through ran them down -- then sped off.
The man, who has been identified as Vimont resident Claude Compte, was rushed to hospital and died less than three hours after being hit.
“He suffered injuries to the head and torso area and was brought to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries this morning,” said Laval police Sgt. Frederic Jean.
The woman's wounds are being described as comparatively minor. She and a witness were taken to hospital to be treated for shock.
Jean said the collision happened at 8:15 a.m. during the restaurant's morning rush and was consequently witnessed by many people. He said police have a clear picture of what occurred.
"Also there is surveillance footage that detectives will be viewing this morning and we will have more information on the vehicle and the driver in the upcoming hours, but the information that I have now is that it is a black SUV and it is a luxury model," said Sgt. Jean.
Still police say that given the normally low speeds of a drive-through, as well as a hairpin turn at the exit, it’s surprising the incident turned fatal.
“This incident is quite strange in that usually when you have fatalities they are high-speed incidents on busy highways or busy intersections,” said Jean, adding that he couldn’t say whether the driver was distracted.
He added that parking lots often pose risks for pedestrians.
“Limited visibility can cause the greatest chance of an accident,” said Jean.
Police are looking for the SUV and its driver, but say the investigation was progressing very well and they have narrowed down a list of suspected vehicles. The driver is expected to face serious charges.
