2 dead, 9 injured after truck hits pedestrians in Quebec

AMQUI, Quebec (AP) — Two men died Monday after a pickup truck plowed into pedestrians who were walking beside a road in the eastern Quebec town of Amqui, officials said.

A provincial police spokeswoman said nine other people were injured, including two whose injuries are considered serious.

Sgt. Hélène St-Pierre said the 38-year-old driver, a local resident, turned himself in to police and was arrested under suspicion of committing a fatal hit and run.

A senior government official familiar with the matter said the incident was not terrorism or national security related. The official spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

The incident happened just after 3 p.m. along St-Benoit Boulevard in Amqui, a town about 350 kilometers (220 miles) northeast of Quebec City.

The regional health board confirmed that a “code orange” had been declared at the Amqui hospital, which generally indicates a situation with a high number of casualties.

Alain Gilbert, a truck driver, said he was driving into Amqui when he saw several ambulances tending to about four or possibly five people spread over a distance of about 500 meters (yards).

He saw a police officer performing CPR on one person lying on the ground. He said there didn’t appear to be any children in the group.

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Associated Press writer Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.