Toddler in stroller killed after collision in Montreal North

Montreal police (SPVM) are investigating after a two-year-old girl was struck and killed by a car in Montreal North.

Police say a mother was crossing the street with her daughter in a stroller at 9 a.m. on Des Recollets Avenue, near Fleury Street, when they were hit by a turning vehicle.

"The victim, a two-year-old little girl, was seriously injured, and she was transported to the hospital in critical condition," said SPVM spokesperson Mariane Allaire-Morin. "Unfortunately, her death has been declared at the hospital."

INTERSECTION LAYOUT COULD BE A FACTOR: POLICE

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident.

According to police, one possibility is the configuration of the roads.

On one side of the intersection, Des Recollets St. has traffic in either direction; on the other side, it's a one-way street headed towards the intersection.

Residents say driving through it can be confusing.

"I see them always turning, because they always think that it's going down, the street," said Tony Muscatello.

Muscatello said the incident has the neighbourhood reeling.

"I've been here 15 years, and I've never seen this. Never."

MOTHER, DRIVER SENT TO HOSPITAL

The girl's 40-year-old mother sustained lower-body injuries and was treated in hospital. Authorities do not fear for her life.

The driver was also transported to hospital to be treated for nervous shock.

Resident Donald Cote recalls seeing the driver in the aftermath of the accident.

"I saw the lady that drove the car when I arrived, just sitting on the other, agonizing. She could barely walk, state of shock," he said.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the city said it is in "constant communication with the SPVM for all matters concerning the maintenance of public safety."

There were 17 fatal collisions in Montreal in 2021, and 12 so far in 2022 on the island. Five of those collisions have involved pedestrians.