Video shows driver strike infant in stroller at Montreal intersection; police investigating
A one-year-old child has survived a hit-and-run after a woman's stroller was struck by a vehicle while she was crossing the street in Montreal's Outremont borough last week, police say.
The incident was captured by a surveillance camera outside the home of a resident who lives near the site of the crash, at the intersection of Bloomfield and Lajoie avenues.
The video was posted online as community members are shocked by the incident and are hoping the driver is found by police.
The video shows the driver slowly approach the intersection, but instead of stopping at the stop sign, the vehicle continues driving, pushing the stroller into the street.
The person pushing the stroller does not appear to be struck by the vehicle.
The homeowner who recorded the video confirmed to CTV News it was recorded the afternoon of Nov. 16.
Paramedics and Montreal police said they received a 911 call around 2:40 p.m. and responded to the scene of the crash.
When the police officer arrived the woman and child had already been sent to hospital as a precaution. The infant was uninjured.
“Luckily, in the stroller, the baby was really well attached,” said police spokesperson Jean-Pierre Brabant.
The baby “did not fall from the stroller, so that avoided really major injuries.”
"Like all of you, I am in shock after watching this video," wrote Outremont Mayor Laurent Desbois in a tweet late Tuesday night.
"I am in communication with the SPVM and I hope that they will be able to quickly identify the driver of the vehicle."
Police said the suspect vehicle was black but did not have any other descriptions.
The police investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with information on the incident is encouraged to contact police through the Info-Crime line: (514) 393-1133.
CONCERNS OVER MOTIVATION
Community members are waiting eagerly for more information from police as some fear the act may have been intentional.
Mayer Feig, a community activist and a director of Hatzoloh of Montreal, a Jewish first responders service, said he’s hoping the investigation uncovers more details.
“Either it was just a very distracted driver. Or it was a deliberate act,” he said. “We trust the police that they will do their investigation thoroughly and find the person.”
Feig says the woman and child are members of a large Hasidic Jewish community in Montreal’s Outremont Borough.
“They look very Jewish, they dress differently than others,” said Marvin Rotrand, National Human Rights Director for B’nai Brith, a Jewish advocacy group which has opened its own investigation into the incident on concerns that the event was hate-related.
“This is something we will monitor as a possible anti-Semitic incident,” he said.
Police are not ruling out the possibility that hate was a contributing factor, but they say it’s too early to conclude anything. Quebec’s Council of Hasidic Jews wrote a public statement Wednesday urging community members to maintain “the utmost caution in any premature evaluation of this unfortunate event.”
“At this time in the investigation, we don’t have much information,” said Brabant. “We met with some witnesses, we have some footage from different surveillance cameras.”
Quebec’s Public Security Minister Francois Bonnardel called the incident a “horrible situation.”
“There is an inquiry right now,” he said on Wednesday. “We’ll see what happened, why this happened, and after that, we will get some additional answers.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Police arrest 3 Indian nationals in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Suter scores late goal, clinches series for Canucks
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Quebec man who threatened Trudeau, Legault online sentenced to 20 months in jail
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
Human remains found in rural Sask. possibly a decade old, RCMP say
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
Canadian doctor concerned new weight-loss drug Wegovy may be used inappropriately
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey is never quitting 'The Price Is Right'
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.