Major collision on Highway 55: driver dead

A man in his 40s has died following a head-on collision on Highway 55 Friday afternoon.

The collision occurred between a heavy goods vehicle and a car. The victim was behind the wheel of the car.

The car reportedly caught fire following the impact.

The fire raged for several minutes. Even the fire department, [vers 15 h 10]even though it has been more than an hour since the collision occurred, the firefighters are still putting the car outindicates SQ spokesperson Éloïse Cossette.

The SQ indicates that no one could be extricated or got out of the car due to the flames. A man in his 40s was still in the vehicle as of mid-afternoon.

The truck driver, a man in his 60s, suffered minor injuries.

The accident occurred around 1:50 p.m. on Route 155 in Saint-Célestin at kilometer 168.

Highway 55 is currently closed to traffic and is expected to remain closed for several hours.

A diesel spill also occurred during the accident. The intervention of Urgence-Environnement was requested.

A detour route is planned for motorists. This is route 226, then rue Marquis, which becomes boulevard de Port-Royal, and then chemin Forest.

The intervention is still in progress. Three trucks from the town of Bécancour fire department were dispatched to the scene.

According to the SQinitial findings indicate that the car deviated from its lane and then ended up in the opposite direction.

It is possible that it was a voluntary maneuver or a distraction, so it is for these aspects that investigators took charge of the case. They will meet relatives and try to clarify the circumstances before the collisionmentioned Éloïse Cossette.

A collision scene investigator will carry out the analysis on site.