Steph Deschamps / March 15, 2023
The man accused of driving his pickup truck into pedestrians in Quebec, killing two people and injuring nine others, was charged Tuesday with dangerous driving causing death.
The suspect appeared promptly in court and could face additional charges, according to authorities who suspect a deliberate and premeditated act but no apparent motive.
Earlier in the day, Quebec police spokeswoman Hélène St-Pierre told AFP that investigators were "looking to confirm that the collision was a deliberate act.
On Monday afternoon, 38-year-old Steeve Gagnon mowed down several people on a sidewalk in the downtown area of the small town of Amqui, located 650 kilometers north of Montreal.
Several witnesses told local media that the suspect accelerated 400 to 500 meters along the roadway hitting other people in his path.
Among the victims, two men aged 65 and 73 respectively died instantly after being hit by the pickup.
And three adults, among the nine injured, are still in critical condition.
It is a bit discouraging, shocking," said François Legault, the Quebec Prime Minister. "I feel terrible because it is the second time in a month that this has happened," he added, referring to the bus driver who last month deliberately crashed into a daycare center in the Montreal suburbs in February, killing two children and injuring six others.
On the steps of a local church, a makeshift memorial has been erected, with dozens of residents placing stuffed animals and flowers. A mass in honor of the victims is scheduled for Friday.