Achi news desk-
A 54-year-old truck driver will not be charged in the death of a pedestrian last June after a Quebec coroner’s report and recommendations.
Dylan Kaya, 22, was fatally injured at the intersection of Blair Street and 22nd Avenue in St. Michel.
Ten months later, coroner Jean Brucho ruled her death accidental, saying Kaya did not look in the direction of the truck before crossing and the truck driver did not see her because she was so close to the large truck.
However, Brucho said several other factors led to the death. In his report he wrote that surveillance videos show that the truck did not come to a complete stop at the intersection, despite the presence of a stop sign.
The coroner also noted that the truck was in an area where trucks are not allowed.
In an email to CTV News, Montreal police said the investigation is over and the case has not been turned over to the Crown Prosecutor’s Office, adding that fines have been issued to the driver. The City of Montreal did not respond to a request for an interview by deadline.
In the six-page coroner’s report, Bruchault recommends that the Quebec Automobile Insurance Council, the SAAQ, evaluate the possibility of mandatory flashing lights on the front of large vehicles. They should also be equipped with an external alarm to warn people of Turning trucks or reversing.
However, in an email to CTV News, the SAAQ said “if too many vehicles are equipped with such a signal, it could become commonplace, or even a source of distraction for some vulnerable road users.”
As for the lights, it is written, “this equipment may reduce the attention of the various road users to emergency vehicles.”
Although SAAQ is unlikely to adopt the recommendations, it said it is always looking for ways to improve road safety.
