A public inquiry into a series of fatal collisions involving heavy trucks has begun at the Montreal courthouse, examining two crashes that claimed three lives and broader safety issues within Quebec’s trucking industry.

The inquiry, ordered on Oct. 10, 2025, by Quebec’s chief coroner Reno Bernier, is being presided over by coroner Dave Kimpton. He is joined by Dr. Louis Normandin as assessor and assisted by prosecutor Vanessa Nadeau.

The proceedings will review both fatal crashes. One led to the death of Madeline J. Darby on July 15, 2025, in Ange-Gardien, and another claimed the lives of Tanya and Elliot Lalonde on Aug. 27, 2025, on Highway 30 in Boucherville.

“As the coroner responsible for this inquiry, my mandate will be to oversee the hearings in order to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the deaths, identify contributing factors where possible, and make recommendations, if appropriate, to better protect the public,” Kimpton said in his opening statement.

“The loss of a human life, especially when it may have been preventable, is always a tragedy for families and for society. On our roads, a fraction of a second can change everything.”

The hearings, taking place from March 20 to April 2 and April 7 to 10, are focusing on the Darby case and the overall state of the trucking industry in Quebec.

A second phase of hearings, scheduled for Oct. 26 to Nov. 13, will examine the Lalonde collision and potential measures to improve road safety.

Among the interested parties present in the courtroom are the Ministry of Transportation of Quebec (Ministère des Transports et de la Mobilité durable), Quebec Automobile Insurance Corporation (Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec), Quebec Road Control Constables Brotherhood (Fraternité des constables du contrôle routier du Québec), Quebec Trucking Association (Association du camionnage du Québec), Quebec Provincial Police Association (Association des policières et policiers provinciaux du Québec), and Quebec Provincial Police (Sûreté du Québec). Victims’ families and their representatives are also in attendance.

First day of testimony

The first day of hearings on March 30 focused on the factual circumstances surrounding Darby’s death, with testimony from Sûreté du Québec investigators, an accident reconstruction expert, and a mechanic.

Benoît Coulombe, a sergeant leading the Sûreté du Québec’s crimes against persons investigations unit, said the findings point to an unidentified distraction on the part of the truck driver as the likely cause of the fatal collision. This conclusion is consistent with the other testimonies, as no mechanical or safety issues were identified.

Further testimony is expected, including from the truck driver involved in the crash.