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Trial begins for trucker accused in deadly crash that killed 4 on Laval highway

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The trial started Thursday for a truck driver involved in a crash that killed four people on highway 440 three years ago.

The prosecution is focusing on the trucker's mental health and the warning signs over the years.

The crash took place on a sunny, clear day on Aug. 5, 2019, on the highway in Laval when the truck failed to stop and rear-ended several cars at 100 km/h

The driver, Jagmeet Grewal, was arrested and charged with criminal negligence causing death.

In its opening statement, the prosecution said it would base its case on the fact the Grewal should never have been driving a truck in the first place because his trucker permit had been revoked.

The accused lost his Class-1 licence in 2014 after he was involved in a major collision two years earlier. He suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The prosecution argued in court Thursday that Grewal fought tooth and nail to get his licence back, but it was permanently revoked in 2018 and he took a disability pension.

Yet, later that same year, Grewal tried again to retrieve his licence. The prosecution claimed Quebec's automobile insurance board, the SAAQ, gave it back to him.

It was a clerical error that would have lethal consequences a year later.

An expert working for the SAAQ testified that in 2016, she determined there was no chance Grewal's condition would improve.

A psychiatrist who treated him in 2017 also testified that Grewal's level of anxiety, depression and stress, as well as other psychological issues, made him unfit for any kind of work.

For the relatives of the victims, it's a painful trial that they say reminds them that this tragedy could have been prevented. 

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