MONTREAL -- From Charbel Saliba's point of view, the vehicle that struck his car was going at a high speed, but for him, it was all in slow motion.
Saliba was a close friend and co-worker of Véronica Gashi, the 15-year-old girl who died in Saturday's multi-car collision on Highway 40 just west of Montreal. The two had been out enjoying one of the first spring weather days. Driving on the highway, the two spotted an accident on the highway's shoulder.
Gashi was “a kind person, she's nice. Every time I hang out with her, she was always smiling, always having fun,” said Saliba. It was in her nature to want to stop and help.
“We stopped far enough to have security. I told her, 'Stay in the car, keep your seatbelt on, keep the keys with you, don't get out of the car, it's the side of the highway, it's dangerous.'”
Saliba went over to check on the occupants of the stopped car. After they assured him they were okay, he turned back towards his car. That's when he heard the oncoming car.
“All I heard was a big engine coming. It hit the car right beside me. It didn't hit hard, but then I saw the car go all the way into my car, it was going really fast. I saw it in slow motion. It hit the car so hard, the trunk was right behind her seat. I started screaming, crying. I went to the windows, everything was on fire," he said.
One person who witnessed the crash told CTV News two of the cars involved in the crash were "flying" and were "100 per cent" street racing before the crash.
“I opened the door, it was real hard to open it. I took her, I started running," says Saliba. "I heard someone say, 'Run, it's going to explode. A few seconds later, the car exploded right behind me. Imagine, if I left her in the car, if I took my time, I'd be dead with her.'"
The people from the car he had stopped to help urged him to get into their vehicle. From the car, he called 911. Soon, an ambulance approached.
“We put her on the car and started doing everything to keep her alive. Massage cardiac, everything. I did my best, I took her pulse, she was still there. I had hope. I started to take blood from her mouth, she was bleeding a lot from the mouth," he siad. “I did my best, she died between my arms.”
“The last thing I did, I took the blanket off her face. I kneeled and started praying. I did my best. Now, there's all those images in my head. All I can do is pray.”
The days since the crash have been unbearable. Saliba said people have tried to comfort him, but there is no consolation to be had. All he has is a plea to other drivers on the road.
“For her family, for me. Every day, I have to be there for them. My friends, every day they comfort me with flowers and candies an chocolates. I don't want anything. I just want people to stop speeding.”
- With files from CTV Montreal's Matt Gilmour
