Two of the victims of Monday’s fatal car crash on Highway 440 in Laval were former Montreal police officers.
Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante confirmed the victims’ identities on social media on Thursday, tweeting her condolences to the retired officers’ families.
“The SPVM family lost two members in a terrible accident on Highway 440,” she said. “Gilles Marsolais and Michele Bernier recently retired from the force after their service. It’s with great emotion we offer our condolences to their families and friends.”
On Tuesday, another of the four victims who lost their lives was identified by a Quebec coroner as 26-year-old Robert Tanguay-Laplante.
The crash, which left another 15 people injured, has attracted criticism of the design of the interchange, where the 440 meets Highway 15. Quebec’s truckers association said the roadway is not designed to safely handle current traffic conditions and said the area has been flagged several times as a danger.
Quebec Transport Minister Francois Bonnardel said redesigning the site will be examined but that several measures will be taken in the short term to make the interchange safer.
