Truck driver will not face charges in deadly collision with cyclist

Montreal police (SPVM) are calling the deadly collision between a tanker truck and a cyclist on Tuesday afternoon an accident.

SPVM spokesperson Sabrina Gauthier said Wednesday morning that no charges will be laid against the 53-year-old man.

He was driving a tanker truck shortly after 11 a.m. towards the Jacques-Cartier Bridge on Papineau Avenue when he ran over a 43-year-old man who, witnesses say, fell off his bicycle into the path of the truck.

He was pronounced dead on the scene.

Shortly after the accident, officers could not locate the truck that continued on its route, and officers were considering the possibility of it being a criminal hit-and-run.

Police later located the truck and interviewed the driver on Tuesday night.

"After we see the cameras and witnesses, we know that it was not a hit-and-run. Just the driver had a big truck and we suppose that he didn't hear the impact of the collision," said Gauthier.

Later that same day and only a block away, a city bus collided with a cyclist, who suffered minor injuries.

Cycling advocates are urging riders to be cautious on Montreal roads, particularly when near big vehicles.

"You should not be overtaking, on the left on the right," said Velo Quebec spokesperson Magali Brebonne. "You shouldn't be around trucks. You should really stay back for your own safety because we often don't realize how wide blind spots are around those trucks." 

She also said trucks need to be made safer.

"We need to be working on truck designs themselves and ensure that we reduce the blind spots, that we have detection systems, so that drivers can navigate with all the complexities and the density of pedestrians and cyclists," she said.

Ville-Marie borough councillor Sophie Mauzerolle, said Wednesday in a statement that "Every collision is one too many" and that repeated collisions involving cyclists in the area is "of grave concern."

"Making travel safer is a priority for our administration, which is currently deploying unprecedented measures to make the entire Ville-Marie borough safer," wrote Mauzerolle, also a member of the city's executive committee.

"In particular, a post-collision team will be deployed on site to examine any short-term improvements that can be made to make the area safer. Of course, I appeal to all road users to be cautious, to ensure safe sharing of the road."

Last year, more than 500 cyclists were injured on Montreal roads.

With files from CTV News Montreal's Matt Grillo