Three years ago, Gina Quinn lost her 23-year-old son. Sitting on the passenger side, he died violently during a road accident in Chute-Outardes. “An entire village is marked by the death of my son,” breathes Maxime Quinn’s mother. Today, she is speaking out to raise awareness.
She confides that on the day of the accident, this deafening noise during the impact was heard throughout the village of Chute-aux-Outardes. Some witnesses witnessed this accident, despite themselves.
The village priest was the first witness to arrive on the scene. A second witness tried to block the road in the minutes following the tragedy.
“These are people who are traumatized by this,” specifies Gina Jean. “I want everyone to remember this event so as not to take to the road carelessly,” she expresses.
“I hope Maxime can save lives,” she says. His greatest wish is that his son left a message to the population, that of being responsible.
“Alexandre, your carelessness had so much collateral damage”
The motorist, Alexandre Roy Bélanger, author of this tragedy, was finally judged for his actions on September 27 in Baie-Comeau. After more than three years of legal proceedings, Maxime Quinn’s family can finally turn the page on this chapter.
Judge Annick Boivin sentenced Alexandre Roy Bélanger to 42 months in prison for the murderous behavior he engaged in on June 16, 2021. “The accused’s conduct demonstrates a flagrant disregard for the rules of automobile driving and a indifference for the life and safety of others, which goes far beyond impulsiveness,” we can read in the sentencing document.
“I am not satisfied or dissatisfied with the judgment,” confides Ms. Jean. For her, having had the opportunity to read a letter to the court and above all, to be heard by the culprit, greatly helped her in her mourning which will never be healed, according to what she confided to Manic. “Alexander, your carelessness caused so much collateral damage” is one of the sentences she was able to express to the accused while looking him straight in the eyes.
The facts
Let’s remember the facts. Alexandre Roy Bélanger went to join Maxime Quinn and Vanessa Ross at the Rivs-Pub in Chute-aux-Outardes. According to the victim’s mother, the two men had not spoken in five years. “I think they put their conflicts aside that day,” she supposes.
Alexandre Roy Bélanger drank three drinks, including two doubles, within 20 minutes. Accompanied by the victim, he smoked cannabis, made a first round trip, squeaking the tires of his car to the point of seeing a cloud of smoke when he entered the public road of the village.
Returning five minutes later, the man had four more drinks. Intoxicated by alcohol and drugs, he left the establishment 1 hour 20 minutes later. Maxime Quinn got into the passenger side of the defendant’s vehicle and Vanessa Ross followed them in her own car. She actually left the first one.
The reconstruction of the events of the police investigation proves that Alexandre Roy Bélanger reached 188 km/h while Ms. Ross was traveling at 166 km/h. This speed was achieved on an 800 meter circuit in an area where the permitted limit is 50 km/h.
Moreover, the legal document indicates that a lady near the sidewalk was almost hit during one of the skidding maneuvers of the vehicle driven by the accused.
She tried to slow down the two vehicles by making signs with her hands. Maxime Quinn lost his life a few seconds later.
