SQ arrest trucker in connection with Highway 13 rescue delays

Officers with the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) have arrested a Laval man in connection with the events that unfolded on Montreal’s Highway 13 last week, when hundreds of motorists became stranded overnight on the road during one of the worst winter storms to hit the province in recent memory.

READ MORE: Massive pileup on Highway 13 strands hundreds of drivers overnight

Police allege the 57-year-old man is one of two truck drivers who refused to co-operate with a towing operation orchestrated to clear up the congested road, thus hampering rescue operations.

Some motorists reported being stuck on the highway for 13 hours.

READ MORE: Quebec opposition parties call for transport minister’s resignation after Highway 13 pile-up

The SQ said the file will be handed over to the prosecutor’s office which will decide whether or not to press charges.

The driver faces possible charges of criminal mischief.

READ MORE: Class action lawsuit filed against Quebec for stranded Highway 13 drivers

The suspect will be released into the custody of police in Kingston, Ont., where a warrant was issued for his arrest in connection with a separate matter.

Investigators are still searching for the second trucker. Anyone with information is being asked to call the SQ at 1 800-659-4264.

The government has launched its own inquiry into the matter after the transport minister was heavily criticized for mishandling the “storm fiasco.”