Driver blocks speeding car downtown
Once again the headline’s off-kilter, although in a rare positive sense: Cars collide as an SUV protects pedestrians. What actually happened, Tuesday midday, was a police chase down René‑Lévesque ended up with an SUV driver interposing his vehicle between the fugitive driver and a dozen pedestrians. Cars crunched but nobody got hurt.
Whether it was a bright idea for police to pursue a delinquent driver at lunchtime downtown on the first snow day of the season is not asked, but I’m asking it.
Tim S. 09:10 on 2019-11-13 Permalink
Of course the police should have pursued him. You can’t let drunk drivers all over downtown at noon, and you can’t set a precedent that all you have to do is drive dangerously enough and you’ll get away with it.
The question is, will he be tried as a first-time drunk driver and get a slap on the wrist, or as an attempted murderer of twelve?
Kate 11:23 on 2019-11-13 Permalink
Tuesday they say Samuel Tremblay will be charged with impaired driving and dangerous driving. He’s only 19, maybe that will keep him off the road for awhile. CBC interviewed the SUV owner who sacrificed his Mercedes to save pedestrians: a rare bird indeed. Also an interview with TVA.
Update: More details on the charges. Also, Samuel’s mother says he needs help. (The word “chauffard” makes me wish we had a single English word for a terrible driver.)